Imperfect Petals: a photo essay

- Photo Essay Contest -

(This is dedicated to Tonia and Debbie, who have suffered numerous challenges this year, particularly the recent loss of their beloved dog, Buddy. But neither lady has lost her gracious and optimistic spirit. I pray these images lend a small measure of comfort to my dear friends.)

There's something both attractive and endearing about imperfection.

Take this sunflower, for example. Drawn to it, rather than its symmetric neighbors, I captured it in the early morning light. Gold shafts of sunlight filtered through the trees on the horizon, picking up a flower here, a leaf there. This one was almost fully exposed to the morning rays. And it attracted me precisely because of it's very lovely asymmetry.

See the little bites taken out of the far reaching petals on this giant zinnia? Even though the little yellow star-like flowers on its center look just perfect, if you look closely, you can see a few ragged edges. I love this tangerine-rose color, and hoped to find something on the blossom that would qualify it for this essay. ;o) 

Look at this crazy lavender zinnia, with persistant petals growing right out of the center. I think it's going to be a double header.

This has got to be my favorite. Look at those weary, worn petals. And that little weed that's twining all over it. Somehow this zinnia strikes me as rather heroic.

 This shaggy lion's head seems proud and fierce. Note the tiny holes in its petals.

And this giant sunflower is spent, tired after treating us to its pristine beauty. Soon the petals will drift downward, and the birds will feast.

A moth has found a comfortable perch on this oversized dinner plate.

And finally, this pumpkin leaf. It isn't precisely a petal, but I loved the way the sun shone through it, and there is a tiny hole in its middle. 

Why should flowers and plants be flawless? There's allure in each departure from perfection, in each tear or ragged edge that veers off the predictable path. I find them equisite.

Thanks for coming with me on this morning tour. I hope to post more photos of lush lilies and burgeoning vegetables in the next few days. ;o)

Aaron Paul Lazar, author of the LeGarde Mystery series and Moore Mysteries, lives in Upstate New York with his wife, three daughters, two grandsons, mother-in-law, dog, and three cats. After writing in the early morning hours, he works as an electrophotographic engineer at Kodak in Rochester, New York. Additional passions include vegetable, fruit, and flower gardening; preparing large family feasts; photographing his family, gardens, and the breathtakingly beautiful Genesee Valley; cross-country skiing across the rolling hills; playing a distinctly amateur level of piano, and spending “time” with the French Impressionists whenever possible. Although he adored raising his three delightful daughters, Mr. Lazar finds grandfathering his “two little buddies” to be one of the finest experiences of his life. Visit his website at www.legardemysteries.com for excerpts, reviews, interviews, photos of the Genesee Valley and Gus’s Gardens, and music by Chopin.

Double Forté is the founding book of the LeGarde Mystery series and was released in January, 2005. Upstaged, the second book, was released in October, 2005. His third, Tremolo: cry of the loon, was released via Twilight Times Books under the Paladin Timeless Imprint in fall, 2006. Watch for Healey’s Cave: A Sam Moore Mystery and Mazurka, the fourth in the LeGarde mysteries, in 2008. Mr. Lazar is currently working on his twelfth book, For Keeps. He is a regular columnist for FMAM (Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine), Voice in the Dark literary journal, and frequently writes for the Absolute Write newsletter. Contact him at: aaron.lazar@yahoo.com.