You would be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t see 2020 as a year that was unconventional, unthinkable, and unwanted. With the coronavirus making a rampant spread across the nation and the world, we had to succumb to a ‘new normal:’ A series of quarantines, lockdowns, social distancing, and an adjustment to life that has broken every norm and tradition. For an extended period, church services were exclusively online, and jobs were either lost or performed solely at home. People couldn’t attend funeral services or weddings of loved ones because of quarantine and travel guidelines. These abnormal events, combined with the intertwining of opposite personalities and characteristics, caused many marriages and families to suffer, amplifying the call for adherence to mental and emotional health.

It was amid this turbulence that I remembered a challenge given by my pastor to our church to make good use of our quarantine time. He spoke directly and truthfully, saying that some would only lament the stripping away of their comforts, while others would step out of their comfort zone and do something bold and new. “Write a book!” he suggested. So that’s exactly what I chose to do.

When I was a young teenager, I wrote poetry regularly. My mother strongly urged me to publish my writings, but I didn’t heed her advice at that time. In light of this challenge, I decided to take a righteous risk and write some poetry.

I wrote about job loss, depression, and pain. I shared about my faith, hope, and restoration. I couldn’t ignore the racial and cultural tension in the aftermath of the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd. As a black Christian, I felt a confluence of raw emotions. — It’s a short project that was birthed from the desire to do something new and add another dimension to my emotional foundation.

It is my prayer that you’ll find this short book of poetry to be uplifting and encouraging in whatever state of mind you may find yourself. I hope it will provide light at the end of the tunnel.

Named after my wife’s favorite snack, Sunflower Seeds: Poetry In The Midst Of A Pandemic is a message of hope from my heart to yours.

Be blessed,

Demetrius Minor

Demetrius Minor is a minister, author, and political commentator. He is a former radio talk show host and television personality. He is also a member of the Project 21 advisory board of black conservative leaders across the United States. He and his wife, Riesa, serve on the leadership staff at Tampa Life Church in Tampa, FL.