His hands were worst, pretending softness
gently just before he formed my ribs.
At least the rocks were honest,
my womb of sorts, the secret script
of being marbled me, a sand-teared slave.
He chiseled his desire, in my skin
and polished me with eyes, and glazed
me while I hid my face exposed to sins
of his. He might have dressed me, made
me decent, but he chose to leave me naked
afterwards, as the deflowered maid.
I’m raped, I’m shattered, impregnated.
So every time you let your fingers slide
along my curving spine I’m washed ashamed to hide.
La Danaïde by Auguste Rodin
Today at dVerse Lillian wants us to take a starting point in a sculpture and write it either as a persona or maybe imagine the artist point of view, maybe you can make the sculpture come alive. I have always found La Danaïde a little bit disturbing, especially if you know the mythology behind it. What I see is a raped woman, and that’s the story I wanted to tell, and also from the viewpoint that we rape her over and over ogling at her.
This is a sonnet with uneven meter… a little bit of something that will come more of later.
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June 14, 2016
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Most evocative write, Björn
This is a remarkable piece. You have dug through each layer of pain and stone to examine the many levels of exploitation.
As I read just the other day, our society decries violence and sexual exploitation, but our popular media seems to glorify those same things. You give us a lot to think about in this!
Strong representation of the point of view of the victim of rape. There is such a contradiction between the pure beauty of the marble sculpture and the violence of the subject. Well done.
Excellent work on this. The pose of her, the way this beautiful woman has been beaten into submission and then just left. Such amazing words for such a pure image.
Your poem is so moving in its truth and nakedness. Difficult emotions but beautifully drawn to share the story. Your poetry is always pure art, Björn.
Very powerful piece, brother; with a strong clear message. It is ironic, in a way, how war & violence often spawn beautiful art; creates a bit of a crisis of conscience for we poets.
I love the sculpture you’ve chosen — and the words are so moving – so truthful, so naked in their honesty. Very moving — and art to accompany the art.
B, this is strong work. Hard to read, but so wonderfully told.
I am STUNNED by this line:
“the secret script
of being marbled me”
This is powerful. It makes me want to help her stand tall and not lie there naked and ashamed. But she is unmovable, her tragedy set in stone.
So, so sad and so very powerful, Bjorn. I could feel her pain, definitely.
My goodness! This is such a very evocative poem. Kudos!
A powerful read but a painful one as it reminds me of all the rape victims, who have been raped and abused over and over again. At least the rocks were honest…I admire the cadence of the verses. I must brush up on the meter, smiles ~
Really powerful perspective, Bjorn. I feel a compulsion to want to cover her and protect her from the painful “ogles.”
Tragic writing, fitting the statue. Moving.
It’s amazing how a piece of cold, hard marble can release such emotion and feeling. Your poem is wonderfully sculpted and I love the lines:
‘He chiseled his desire, in my skin
and polished me with eyes, and glazed
me while I hid my face exposed to sins
of his.’
ah…your words enliven the statue, we can feel the sigh of despondency…
Two powerful pieces of art!
…the secret script of marbled me is wonderful; I would love to try sculpting…
Brilliantly honed, Bjorn. Her soul speaks to us clearly through you.
I always look forward to reading your work. this is so tenderly written, very powerful.
Excellent piece! It’s my first time seeing that statue and your words did reflect my first thoughts.
Your words give us pause to see her shame and hear her painful story.
This is so strong. You have exposed her pain and vulnerability and each word speaks and breathes of it. Just a brilliant write, Bjorn.
Wow, Bjorn… this poem reads so terribly real, so sadly descriptive. I can see the pain in the twist of her frame, the hurt in the expression of her face, the tiredness in her entire body.
You’ve crafted a glimpse into a story so believable that it leaves me wanting to know everything about your speaker. It makes me want to soothe her, and crush all the hands that have hurt her.
Very interesting Bjorn. I like that it’s left naked and exposed like we all are.
A dark piece, well rendered, in an interesting sonnet meter.