Beauty Fades But Is Still Beautiful

I caught this rose a day or two past peak.

The petal edges are curling and tearing, turning brown. The vibrant pinks and reds are fading to white and ochre.

And yet, to me, the faded colors just serve to emphasize the bright colors which remain. The contrast reminds me of the world, living and dying, growing and fading, vibrant and decaying, all simultaneously. Above all, the melancholy of knowing that everything fades with time, tempered by the faith that it will bloom again another day.