Personal Photo Poetry Prompt — photo prompts are by me and for me. Poetry below.

The Tale of the Black-Eyed Susans

Cheerful yellow greets me from afar
I am a full block away when the color inspires my smile

I rarely wear yellow,
I own almost no yellow,
No mugs, No plates, No knick knacks,
Not even winter scarves or gloves

Yellow and my complexion rarely align, yet. . .
Sunshine worshipping flowers elicit a smile

Simply beautiful and happy reaching up up up

I walk closer and closer and closer still
I am a yard away when the transformation occurs

My paradigm shifts
My perception changes

One spray of brightness and cheer
Becomes hundreds of individuals

Up close their beauty reflects the world in which we live
Bright, colorful, and aging from the moment of our birth

Their lifecycle limited to days
Their glory unfolding and then falling away at miraculous speeds

Days old deepest darkest centers still reaching skyward
While their petals droop to balance their height

As with the lines around my eyes and
The creases outside my smile
The flowers succumb to the pressures of gravity

I marvel for a moment
In wonder
As I realize

Age can be more beautiful than youth
It can grab us and hold us as we search its story
Each stem holding a different stance, a chapter by itself
A botanical embodiment of Japanese wabi-sabi

A lifelong tale of sun and water and light
Enwrapped in gorgeous color
Each flower a singular experience of nature

Reminding us that all lifetimes teach us a lesson

Even those that last only days

Photo prompts are by me and for me.

#OTR50
218 Days to go.

© Randi Sumner