I had to go away and think about this piece for a while before I could comment. It's a really lovely piece of artwork, powerful and evocative. I think the explanation of the symbolism made me overthink it all at first, but that's why I stopped and left it until I could just absorb the art itself and find what I wanted in it for myself. Still, understanding where your inspiration came from helped as well - so it all came together for me in the end.