Fading sunflower

Flowers are associated with beauty, especially when they are in full bloom. I am interested in the in-between moment when their beauty fades and prompts reflections about transience. This sunflower seems to be wilting already. Or perhaps it is bending its blossom for the night to rise in full splendour towards the sun. Let this image be a sign of the hope we so need today. Can the sight of flowers enhance feelings of hope? The question seems naive. But we need symbols. Flowers are symbols – signs. We attribute meanings to them. We conjure them up. The sight of them is meant to express what we cannot or do not want to express in words. And what is a bent ripe sunflower supposed to express? I would like its message to be positive. I want it to speak of the fullness of life, of the fulfilment that bears fruit. I also want it to speak of beauty, of its former blossoming and its current leaning in a state of transience. Every stage of life is worth reflecting on and retaining in an image. This flower has a task – to speak to the viewer. Will it succeed in doing so? Judge for yourself.