one thing or the other

What do you see?

I set out to take a picture of this violet

I didn't even notice it's surroundings,

trying to get a closeup,

trying not to move.

But when I look at this one

my eyes are drawn to the oak leaf.



Is this about the flower or the background?

The new life springing up or the dead leaf going down?

The new soft delicate petals or the hard leathery veined leaf?



The fleeting beauty of the violet will be gone long before the hardy oak leaf.

Would we even notice it if not for the flash of spring wildflower?

Nature's beauty is all around, changing every day,

take time to look around and see what is hiding in the background.

What do you see?