Disa clavicornis open to the top

The open blooms right to the top of this inflorescence of Disa clavicornis appear to be on top of their world, their existence.

Even if a plant may not feel its moment of triumphal achievement, it can still project the sensation into human observers, endowed with a richly nuanced range of emotional responses to stimuli from their environment.

One of the miracles of human life is the transfer of the experience of beauty from the artist’s mind to society, a jump similar to the one from flower features to observer awareness.

Communicating any message is a form of language, whether consisting of words, signals, symbols, paintings, sculpture or music. Message also comes from the learnt meanings in everything observed: the snake (and every dangerous animal), the apple (and everything edible), the gender attributes of another member of the species, the weather conditions, the obstacle or danger on the road. All these and more convey messages to those capable of receiving sensory stimuli, eliciting responses that reflect intelligence or the absence of it, affecting existence.

A single floral stimulus as seen here diverges into a multitude of responses, thoughts and actions across representatives of all species able to observe it in some way. Every one of these divergent reaction possibilities forms part of life on earth, holds its small, momentary meaning and purpose, very soon to disappear into the vast randomness that is much of the world.