Corazon

A poem by Shifra Sonnenschein

My heart is broken and beating

And burning and breathing

And earning some green leaves

And flowers

Because growth is deceiving

And beauty is fleeting

And nature just follows a pattern

I’m healing and grieving

Working on believing

That the Universe has all the answers

She’s growing and breathing

Giving me the feeling

Of presence when I don’t understand her

This painting

Is about our place in the Universe. I’ve had an up and down relationship with the concept of God as it was presented to me. But nature doesn’t have to understand itself to exist. The concept of the Oneness of the Universe resonates with me. That we grow makes us a part of nature. That we have hearts makes us part of nature. Our sentience is spiritual, and it connects us all. We’re all one - all part of something bigger than ourselves. A flower pushing it’s way out of a vein may be painful- growth is deceiving in it’s pain. But it’s also beautiful. It’s natural. And it’s what makes us human.