sounds of life and movement, people getting ready and people giving up, the sound of hope and the sound of hanging on, and behind them all, the quiet, deadly ticking of a thousand hungry clocks…
― Hunter S. Thompson, The Rum Diary 

Below is the original photo used to create this image. I found this interesting bush in the decorative planter outside my office building in downtown Richmond, VA. No special lighting or retouching, just a snap from my smart phone.