“I am my own muse. I am the subject I know best. The subject I want to better.”
― Frida Kahlo
Cramped in this corset,
with aches
in my column and marrow;
where my blood is the gold
that was spilled on my body
the day I was sworn into
holler and sorrow.
I carry my pain in a casket,
I paint in the subject of self,
cause my torment is tender,
my lover,
my muse.
The broken column by Frida Kahlo
Susie inspires us with Frida Kahlo at toads. From quotes her life and her paintings. The gold spilled refers to her first accident when gold was blended with her blood on the street. It might be a myth, but so many stories about Frida are.
—
May 3, 2018
Björn Rudbergs writings 
“cause my torment is tender, my lover, my muse.” Yes.. Isn’t it amazing how pain can either burn us to ash or raise us to fly? Thanks so much for taking part in the prompt!
You captured the intriguing essence of Frida here.
I also noted the lines Susie quoted. Great write, Bjorn.
Nicely done, Bjorn.
You chose an excruciating paonting, all those nails. But I have a feeling you have come close to her physical pain. I have not heard the story about the gold but then>I have not heard any of the stories.
Oh, that first stanza is just absolute …. and these closing lines are pure gold … wow ….
the day I was sworn into
holler and sorrow.
… this is a great, tight, gripping and painful piece Bjorn. You’ve taken essences and condensed them and yet in so doing, you explode them wide open – it’s really amazing. Bold and beautiful, like the painting, and like so many of Frida’s photographic images. Starkly beautiful for the open and yet “ugly” truths. This is amazing!
“I paint in the subject of self, cause my torment is tender, my lover, my muse.” This is incredibly powerful! Love how you have expressed pain and torment in this poem. Kudos!💜
The unsung song of beauty and pain——– depicted beautifully.
Wow. Beautiful poem. I think you have really captured the essence of her–or what might be, perhaps, because who really knows? She must have been in great physical pain so often. I hadn’t heard (or don’t remember) the story about the gold.
Frida was certainly driven by her injury and ensuring years of pain not subdued by it; I just wish she had a more faithful lover.
Whoa, Bjorn. I can feel that pain. The pix and the poem. I would rather not have pain (I do, fibromyalgia and joint pain (age) but it certainly is a spur in poetry. You have to sit and contemplate.
“my blood is the gold
that was spilled on my body”
luv this Bjorn; as a quote to represent the artist who swooned by her muse – herself, her pain, raises herself to the ultimate expression of art a precious prize for her suffering
much love…
Björn, as I was on a hunt to find some literary journals to submit poems to, I came across a publication that has a section called “Poets Respond” where poets submit poems on current events. You immediately popped into my head because you often write poems that coincide with events going on in the world. They pay if your poem is selected. I’m not sure how competitive it is, but since you’re writing the poems anyway, it might be worth submitting. It’s a weekly contest, so plenty of chances to enter. And they don’t consider pieces posted on a blog as previously published. Here’s a link in case you’re interested. The deadline is Friday each week at midnight (but I’m not sure what time zone they are in): https://www.rattle.com/submissions/guidelines/
Oh what fun. I might try that
You captured the torment very well, Bjorn.
A beautifully written poem!