Head to head, gone to seed

Head to head, gone to seed

He set the yellow vase with
the sunflower stalks in
the middle of the small
table where we eat lunch

the flower heads,
now eye level and inches
from our own heads,
dazzle me with up-close
detail

days later when one
petal drops, then 
another, and still more,
he drops the the lot
of them outside for
the squirrels and birds
and bugs

where they go full circle, 
from farm to table to
backyard buffet