August 6, 2005
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Regarding my last post…you ladies are fabulous! Kudos to Cassildra and Lady_Songbird for helping to name that poem “Lie…A Rolling Stone.”
Sometimes, when I have the urge to write but find I am struggling with ideas, I look at artwork to see if I can find inspiration there. This one is from last night. I love Frida Kahlo and her work. Her paintings not only move me deeply, but also helped inspire me to find out more about hispanic painters and their contributions to the art world. One of her most disturbing and powerful paintings is “The Suicide of Dorothy Hale,” a retablo of the suicide of a close friend.
Dorothy’s husband had died and she was unable to find any kind of work. Her money dwindled and she found herself rapidly becoming destitute. One “friend” gave her $1000 to buy herself a nice dress so she could get another husband. She bought the dress and threw a going away party, saying she was departing for a long journey overseas. After her guests had left, still wearing the expensive dress, she lept over her balcony to her death.
The Suicide of Dorothy Hale
She stood transfixed on the balcony
gazing over the ledge at
the city bellowing as it teemed
with treachery and life.
As she lept through this
makeshift portal to eternity
her hair fanned out, its strands
glimmering from reflected neon light.
Her limbs scattered as she dropped
and tumbled like a child’s ragdoll,
rolling and flopping in the night air
like flower petals in the breeze.
She seemed more broken than dead
her pleasing face untouched and frozen
while her bones shattered and
fragmented on the unforgiving pavement.
Comments (11)
Are you counting these on Goal Setters?
…That cut like a razor through all of the emotions I’ve been feeling today.
You’re amazing.
Wow, powerful imagery, I got chills.
That one hurts. Well done. You raised emotions in me, making that a very powerful piece.
thanks for the props! nice post.
Thanks for stopping in. I added you…
Beautiful writing.
Thanks for dropping by. Your writing is strong–your poem had very vivid imagery. I could totally see it.
Good luck; hope to see you again!
Your illiteration is exquisite.
That is a very moving poem. Yes, suicide is never painless, unlike that insipid song. And thank you for your response to my small effort.
I have just received word of the schedule for our orchestra’s fall concert : Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Mussogsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, and the William Tell Overture. That should be challenging enough.
Very good poem and interesting backstory. There is so much compelling material in history, and yet people overlook it while seeking inspiration.
Oh my. It is rare to read poetry about a suicide that actually comes to pass. Well done. You painted a disturbingly vivid image that may cause me to sleep with the lights on tonight. That is a compliment!