Bioluminescent

A continuing theme in a lot of my art is deep sea creatures, and that is showcased especially in this piece. I wanted to create a piece that expressed the beauty of bioluminescent creatures that live in the Twilight Zone. I wanted to create a slightly ambiguous image, so I used many flowing brush strokes.

Just Keep Swimming

Sometimes I wonder what it would feel like to breathe underwater, 

to just dive.

At first, I wonder if my arms and legs would tense up. 

Would my heart pound with anticipation

of the water breaking between my finned feet?.

Would water droplets hit the sky 

before pummeling back into the ocean?.

Would I be panting with panic from the disbelief of my newfound ability to  breathe past the surface?.

Or would I be overcome with joy from the swishes of pink fins, blue tails, and green seaweed flying by my face?.

I wonder if God would perform a great miracle and leave the breath in my lungs, 

would He push it out so He could pull me back up to land, 

or would He leave it up to me to float blissfully, 

on my back against the bellies of the whales, 

carried across the storms in a cloud of yellow shoals?.

Would I be content as the fish spin me in a water vacuum,

trapping me in the mindless cycle of never ending peace,

or is it possible I would begin to wish I had to work a little bit harder to breathe underwater?.

I might miss being able to hold my breath only for a minute, 

to feel the carbon dioxide trying to escape my throat, 

my stomach having to clench and turn and grip every last molecule of the air.

Having to soak up every last detail before I break through to the sky again. 

Would the coral seem that much more vibrant if I barely got a glimpse?. 

I think there’s a reason God only allows us air, 

He knew we could only handle one option, 

that breathing underwater takes away the beauty of being able to swim.

Maybe that’s why He grabs my arms and pulls me out of the water, 

sets me back on land and makes me breath air.

All so that I can long for those moments in the ocean again. 

Felicite Lehel ´26

Kendall Smith ´25

This piece kind of sums up the feeling of wanting peace, but also not really feeling content unless you have earned it.