Older, but no wiser

I wouldn’t have noticed, had it not been for an old Flickr invitation still sitting in my inbox to join the “faded flowers are cute too” group. I liked the idea, and the thought stuck in my mind although I’d nothing suitable to post to the pool.

Just a few moments between getting up and getting out; no time for the niceties of tripod and composition and attention to depth of field. The lighting on the kitchen windowsill was fine, but the background was disastrous, so with camera in one hand and plant pot in the other I elbowed my way through the fly screen hanging in the doorway to find a better spot outside. The sun was still low though, and all suitable horizontal surfaces were in shade. Where was that shaft of sunlight that found its way into the kitchen?

Ah, there it is, in mid-air. But how…? Inspiration – I have two hands, one for the camera, one for the plant pot. Hold it just so and…Voila! Not ideal, but better than nothing.

The conventional view, of course, is that a flower only has value whilst in bloom, and the more unblemished the flower, the greater its value. But it is only when the bloom withers and fades that its purpose is fulfilled in the spreading of the seeds.

A whole host of metaphors tied up in there, all ready for the taking. Choose whichever has meaning for you…