Cells
Cells. cells
we dip our feet into, toes stirring
the membrane through cytosol.
a glove of jellyfish;
a hand of lime
through our shared reservoir.
gold fish
leaps, splashing through our lifewater.
ocean. Ocean.
the waves don’t overflow the brim.
the sand has never been
this dry before.
sun. Sun.
your father doesn’t see
how your heart hovers above the water,
& pumps life
into the rain. Please,
don’t glue your cracked sand-dollars
in vain. sweet breeze
twirls, & uncurls your life’s code.
universal. Universal.
transcribe
your creator’s note, we are the same shells
washing up to shore.
babe. Babe.
sometimes you let our lifewater
splash out
of the mason jar. give
the coral time to grow, we’ll rise
out of the snow.
Eve's First Step into Mortality
Medium: Acrylic, Canvas
Size: 27.6in x 39.4in x 0.8in
This painting was inspired by my sci-fi story "Cells", where I explored the Christian story of Genesis. I wanted to depict the irony of how Adam and Eve chose to sin while humanity desperately wants to repent and purify itself before God. When Adam and Eve arrive on Earth, they realize the cost of freedom (death, suffering, etc.). In this perspective, Eve is the 'stronger' one who made the inevitable choice.
God is present as a huge thumb and the angels' persecution (the spaceship).
I used the cell, the smallest unit of life, to symbolize how humans are literally 'made up' of inescapable sin (hence 'The Garden of Eden' is inside every cell).
I was inspired by Salvador Dali's surrealism and "The Garden of Earthly Delights" by Hieronymus Bosch (the juxtaposition of good vs. evil). The painting's colors were inspired by cell models from my AP Biology class.
Through this painting, I tried to untangle my own struggles with a benevolent God and the doctrine from my Christian school.