Poetry competition CLOSED 18th April 2024 8:18pm
WINNER
Anne-Ri999
Anne-Ri999
Frida Kahlo
Anonymous
Poetry Contest Description
Write a poem based on one of the Frida Kahlo quotes below.
Frida Kahlo (born July 6, 1907, Coyoacán, Mexico—died July 13, 1954, Coyoacán) was a Mexican painter best known for her uncompromising and brilliantly coloured self-portraits that deal with such themes as identity, the human body, sexuality, and death. Although she denied the connection, she is often identified as a Surrealist. In addition to her work, Kahlo was known for her tumultuous relationship with muralist Diego Rivera (married 1929, divorced 1939, remarried 1940).
In 1925 Kahlo was involved in a bus accident, which so seriously injured her that she had to undergo more than 30 medical operations in her lifetime. During her slow recovery, Kahlo taught herself to paint, and she read frequently, studying the art of the Old Masters.
Kahlo underwent several surgeries in the late 1940s and early ’50s, often with prolonged hospital stays. Toward the end of her life, she required assistance with walking. She appears in Self-Portrait with Portrait of Dr. Farill (1951) seated in a wheelchair. Her ill health caused her to attend her first solo exhibition in Mexico in 1953 lying on a bed. She died in La Casa Azul a year later, the official cause documented as a pulmonary embolism.
She remains an icon of art, feminism, body positivity, disability, and empowerment.
For this contest….
I would like you to write a poem based on one of the following Frida Kahlo quotes. The poem doesn’t necessarily have to be about Frida Kahlo herself - it just depends what the quote brings up for you.
Please put the number of the quote you were inspired by in your author’s note.
Quotes
1. I paint flowers so they will not die.
2. Everything can have beauty, even the worst horror.
3. Fall in love with yourself, with life and then with whoever you want.
4. At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.
5. Always revolutionary. Never dead, never useless.
6. My painting carries with it the message of pain.
Guidelines
• New writes only
• AI forbidden
• No photos / videos / audio / visual poetry
• Poetry not prose
• No restrictions on word count. Just don’t go nuts.
• You can enter up to one time per quote (so you can enter six times should you wish)
• Two weeks
Related submission no longer exists.
Anonymous
Wonderful start. Thank you :)
Frida 🌹
she weeps in flowers
they grace her table
along with globs of paint
brushes stand in wait
aged and smooth from weary hands
stained with feelings of rebirth
slowly she paints
flowers convalesce
on a background
of muted tones
they flourish
each petal gracefully unfurls
easing her image
into a bounty of rich hues
where they are free to hang
bend without breaking
knowing no hardship
she imagines her
tears pooling in the vase
so clear and without the fog
of discomfort
flowers float and stand firm
on strong green stems
she sees herself
a flower in her own right
valid of the beauty
that flows and gracefully
purges from the tip of her brush
onto canvas
strong peduncles
rich fluid bounty of petiole
never to fade
never to feel the crush
of fingers grasping
for velvety flesh
to be conformed
manipulated to feel whole
they forever stand in bloom
flushed with pink
that stands high on warm cheeks
such effort to hold her prowess
in the beauty of blossoming
this is her gift to us
strength personified in every flower
held beautifully stemming
from imagination and the realness
of their longevity in Nature
her signature of life
on substance
"I paint flowers so they will not die"
they grace her table
along with globs of paint
brushes stand in wait
aged and smooth from weary hands
stained with feelings of rebirth
slowly she paints
flowers convalesce
on a background
of muted tones
they flourish
each petal gracefully unfurls
easing her image
into a bounty of rich hues
where they are free to hang
bend without breaking
knowing no hardship
she imagines her
tears pooling in the vase
so clear and without the fog
of discomfort
flowers float and stand firm
on strong green stems
she sees herself
a flower in her own right
valid of the beauty
that flows and gracefully
purges from the tip of her brush
onto canvas
strong peduncles
rich fluid bounty of petiole
never to fade
never to feel the crush
of fingers grasping
for velvety flesh
to be conformed
manipulated to feel whole
they forever stand in bloom
flushed with pink
that stands high on warm cheeks
such effort to hold her prowess
in the beauty of blossoming
this is her gift to us
strength personified in every flower
held beautifully stemming
from imagination and the realness
of their longevity in Nature
her signature of life
on substance
"I paint flowers so they will not die"
Written by jemac
Go To Page
Related submission no longer exists.
"I Paint Flowers So They Will Not Die"
^^That's what Freida said
but I paint furniture so many things won't die.
The person who created it
The one who owned it
Their memories
Their touch
Their legacy
The scents of their kitchens, absorbed in the wood
Myself...
They must live on
Screaming in colors, saying
"Look at me, now!"
I keep the scars intact--
What would a table or chair, be
without the dents and gouges
of Thanksgiving platters
and pie knives
that have left their presence ?
Someone's essay, carved in
from a too heavy pen on paper,
still visible with new paint,
cleaned and polished
but still there
like their voices from the past
if you listen closely enough.
Everything has a story.
There's a story to everything.
I will find it and bring its luster back
and keep time for them
while I hope someone will do the same for me
someday.
but I paint furniture so many things won't die.
The person who created it
The one who owned it
Their memories
Their touch
Their legacy
The scents of their kitchens, absorbed in the wood
Myself...
They must live on
Screaming in colors, saying
"Look at me, now!"
I keep the scars intact--
What would a table or chair, be
without the dents and gouges
of Thanksgiving platters
and pie knives
that have left their presence ?
Someone's essay, carved in
from a too heavy pen on paper,
still visible with new paint,
cleaned and polished
but still there
like their voices from the past
if you listen closely enough.
Everything has a story.
There's a story to everything.
I will find it and bring its luster back
and keep time for them
while I hope someone will do the same for me
someday.
Written by MadameLavender
Go To Page
Anonymous
Thank you Jemac, Anne-RI, MadameLavender. Lovely stuff. 😄
Related submission no longer exists.
Anonymous
Wow, Anne-Ri…. You’ve been busy! Thanks for your entries and support of this comp x
whaha, yes I guess so, these quotes seem to have sparkled up the old odd fires
Anonymous
<< post removed >>
Related submission no longer exists.
Anonymous
Cheers _feral, and thanks again Anne-Ri 🙂
