Contemplating my father's death I've combined the mixed metaphors of the phoenix and the earth goddess rising from the flame. Contrasting, the severed finger represents the sense that I'd lost something vital within myself. The horizontal white lines represent the presistance of time carrying us forward whether we like it or not. We can change so much but we can't turn back time. I've gone with the standard symbolism of the road, the path of life, and slipped in a design similar to what you'd see on a cardiac monitor. The stars represent mystery, and the strong back light, the illumination of enlightenment. I've chosen the symbol of the hands because as an artist and musician, they are my most valuable body part. It is dark less with sadness than with the depth of contemplation such a powerful event arouses.