The Unsculpted Flower

“Loveliest of lovely things are they on earth that soonest pass away. The rose that lives its little hour is prized beyond the sculptured flower.”
~ William C. Bryant

This photo was taken on 11-02-15 at the historic Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia, a public cemetery located on a scenic bluff of the Wilmington River. The cemetery became famous when it was featured in the 1994 novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, and in the movie, directed by Clint Eastwood, based on the book. It is the largest of the city's municipal cemeteries, containing nearly 160 acres.
The cemetery is located on the site of a plantation originally owned by John Mullryne. It is an eerily atmospheric place -- a sculpture garden of towering obelisks, elaborate crypts covered in ivy, intricate headstones carved with poetic epitaphs, and strikingly realistic statues. It is also a tranquil park of pink azaleas and roses, and avenues of Savannah’s ubiquitous live oaks, draped with swaying tentacles of Spanish moss. The grounds are teeming with birds and butterflies (as well as mosquitoes and snakes!). During his “Thousand Mile Walk” naturalist John Muir visited Bonaventure Cemetery. He wrote passionately about its flora and fauna in his Chapter “Camping Among the Tombs”. If you ever have the opportunity to visit here, you should NOT forego exploring this amazing place.
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This particular photo is of a contemplative angel, extending a carved palm frond over a raised sepulcher. The statue is quite striking on its own, but on this occasion someone had come along before me and placed a white rose in the hand of the statue. I found the contrast striking – the hard, unforgiving yet beautiful and eternal angel balanced by the ephemeral temporality of the fragile rose. I wouldn’t have thought to do this myself, so I am quite grateful for whatever visitor had the grace and wherewithal to place the rose. I hope you enjoy the photo…
Please visit my photography website at: http:--sundershots.smugmug.com- where you will find prints available for purchase in high quality resolution with no watermarks.
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