Goldfinch Elysium

by Kira Federici

Artwork of goldfinch on teal background surrounded by flowers

The subject in Goldfinch Elysium is based off of a female goldfinch I had found that had flown into a window. While bringing this limp bird to a small quiet place to decompose; I began to feel an emotional connection to her. She was old, feathers worn and fraying at the tips. Signs of a life well lived. As I placed her in a soft and quiet patch of grass, I pondered about her new beginnings. Maybe a fox would come by and bring her home as a meal for her kits. Maybe her flesh, bones and feathers would feed the mycelium in the ground and bring new life to the surrounding soil. Maybe we would meet in another life. The amaranth below her represents immortality, while the balsamine above represents impatience. The asphodels on either side represent the afterlife; the unknown direction we take when our bodies come to rest.