Loveliness down the drain

We don't generally look too closely at drains, or even notice them, unless they're smelly or flooding. Sometimes we might notice the weeds growing out of them, but generally, we don't associate them with loveliness, while if something 'goes down the drain' it means it has been spoiled or wasted.

But here's a drain with a difference - or maybe one which thinks it's a flowerpot! Just outside a functional building, this little splash of colour and loveliness draws my attention downwards, away from blossoming trees and spring flowers, in a moment of pure, unbidden delight. It is a reminder that beauty can be found in even the most prosaic and unprepossessing places, if we only have the eyes and heart to see and appreciate... a reminder, too, that good things can grow and flourish in even the least favourable conditions.