anatomy lessons

(silentlanguages)

After her first week of anatomy class, my sister had me assume the "anatomical position" and began enthusiastically labeling my body, rattling off terms I'd never heard of, like "hallux," "bucco," and "popliteus." Having never studied anatomy, I found it all quite novel and fascinating: words droll and exotic in pronunciation, referring to segments of a finger or a bend in the elbow. Tiny parts of a whole. I'd never before thought of these small details as independent components of a body.

I've only just discovered the inspiration of anatomy, hidden beneath our skin and among our bones, but others have long understood the lovely craftsmanship of the human body. Many fine anatomical drawings occupy the listings on Etsy; take a peek:

(shavingkit)

(paperstreet)

(selflesh)

(chasinglightningbugs)

(munstre)help