From July to September the rain shadow effect allows Seattle to have a larger percentage of sunny days than during the other months of the year. Out come the shorts, the bright colors, and the smiles on people’s faces. It’s a fantastic sight!

That’s why I chose my poem “Sunlight” for the August Poem of the Month Club.

The recent shootings in El Paso and Dayton blocked the sun for our entire nation… no, for the whole world! More than ever, we need the light, the warmth, and the love to unite our own nation and the nations of the world.

So, the poem selection stays, with the hope that people will begin to smile again and share the sunlight in peace and understanding.

SUNLIGHT

No matter how dark the night, the sun rises
And chases all the shadows away.
The sun rose today; it will do it tomorrow.
The sun comes up every day.

The mornings are full of sunshine and hope…
It’s a wonderful time to start over again—
Whether a continuation of yesterday’s project
Or a new one you’re about to begin.

A little coffee, a little sunlight…
Your troubles will begin to fade.
By focusing on your hopes and dreams
You’ll turn lemons into lemonade.

Happiness can be found in the darkest of times,
Turn your own light on without delay.
Worry does not keep it from raining tomorrow;
It keeps it from being sunny today.

What sunshine gives to the flowers that bloom,
Smiles are the same gifts to humanity.
The good that smiles do, however trifling it seems,
May lead humankind back to sanity.

A flower cannot live without sunshine;
You cannot thrive without love and a dream.
Learn from the flowers which angle towards the sun…
Lean toward people you hold in high esteem.

The sun rises, the sun falls, the wind blows, the birds sing.
No matter who you are, the story is the same.
These experiences unite us all around the world—
Togetherness in friendship is good, I proclaim!