voyagers

In second grade, I planted beans in a plastic cup. We sprayed water on them first as they lay spread out on a paper towel. Germination–a word that rolled uncomfortably on my second-grade tongue, fitting like new shoes a size too large–a word that meant simply sprouting. We watched as we filled cups with dirt–no, soil–and slid those pale beans down the sides, small white moons against an earthen sky. Soon they grew tentacles and gobbled up water and nitrogen like starved giant squid. At last, they poked their heads up beyond the galaxy and delighted in the light of a strange sun, journeying towards unfamiliar stars.

Anna Zulueta is a multimedia artist currently studying at Brown University, where she explores classical reception, environmental history, and decolonial practices.