Parrot Tulip Photos spark Observations of Self

LIFE AS RELECTED IN A PARROT TULIP

Ariane Goodwin, invited me to submit a Tulip photo for Featured Artist of the Week on the smARTist Career Blog, stating that “Velvet” was here favorite.

I originally featured these two tulip photographs in PICTURE TO PONDER last month, in acknowledgment of April as Parkinson’s Disease Awareness month (a tulip is the symbol for PD). In that writing I mainly paid attention to the feeling and the textures of the above flower and the one below.  I invited readers to simply “BE” with them.

At the time I thought that my preference was for this second photo. Then, after the communication from Ariane, I started reflecting on the photos and my life.  I thought:

TULIP REFLECTIONS AND LIFE

The first photo is . . .

The tulip yet to fully open
Colors and textures abound
Promises of a rich, bright, velvety future.

Wow, it’s open now
Strong and bold
Rich in color
Has it lost some of its
Variations.

Its back is to me
The way I often present
Myself to the world
Am I hiding?
If so, what?
Is it self-protection?
What am I protecting?

Lots of central imagery
Food for thought.
Hmm. Is my food in the core of me?
I always go to my brain for nourishment.

And now as the petals start to fall
Looking sideways toward
What’s next?

A different form of beauty remains.
Always rich in colors, lines and textures
The curvaceousness of my soul.

The reminder of my path.

©2009 Sheila Finkelstein

I would be delighted if you, too, would share your responses to these photos or my words.  You can see additonal tulip photos in my Flickr Tulip Album and on TULIPS PAGES I put up in other years.  Use the links at the bottom of each of those pages to check the other years – 2007 and 2008.