Series: Floral Essence
#4 Appreciation of a Single Rose Bud
Mother’s Day was approaching, and I found myself thinking about my mother-in-law. I called the wholesale florist I was working with and ordered two dozen white roses. When I brought them home and arranged them in a vase, one rose stood out—it appeared flawless.
I gently pulled it from the bunch and studied it closely. Something about the purity of its white petals and their perfect symmetry captivated me. I took it to the studio and spent hours lighting and studying that single bud. The exercise became a kind of meditation.
Since then, I’ve often reflected on the blessing of creating art—how it can draw us into a deeper relationship with the simple act of seeing.
Reflecting on beauty and the creative process reminds me of Rumi’s poem.
“What was said to the rose that made it open was said to me here in my chest.
What was told the cypress that made it strong and straight,
What was whispered the jasmine so it is what it is,
whatever made sugarcane sweet,
whatever was said to the inhabitants of the town of Chigil in Turkestan that makes them so handsome,
whatever lets the pomegranate flower blush like a human face,
that is being said to me now. I blush.
Whatever put eloquence in language, that’s happening here.
The great warehouse doors open; I fill with gratitude,
chewing a piece of sugarcane,
in love with the one to whom every ‘that’ belongs.”
Coleman Barks reciting the Rumi poem.
This series of images is part of a larger collection called Floral Essence. I’ll share more about that in the near future.
To see this image and more flower pictures visit the gallery Flowers at:
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