Portrait of Van Gogh as a Young Artist
Teodora is a bilingual writer. She is the author of two books, a poetry volume and a collection of short stories.
A restless soul painted in yellow and blue
I have always been fascinated by artists. Their complex and often misunderstood inner world is always reflected in their canvases - the silent witnesses of their trials and tribulations. Van Gogh was a struggling artist, like many others. He only found fame after death. Vincent was insanely (pun intended) talented, which eventually cost him his sanity. He filled his paintings with colors and raw emotions yet emptied himself in the process. These are some of the thoughts that inspired this poem.
Red like the dying sun sprawled all over the sky
such was his hair
an almost impossible shade of fire like rye
a chromatic rebellion, an implausible dare.
His eyes – canvases tinted with gray-green insanity
crucifying time in a frame
starting invisible wars out of vanity
blinded by crimson rage and azure pain.
And his ears, such fragile receptacles of bliss
unable to sieve the loudness of life
one had to go, one was amiss...
Incessant insidious dreams clinging to brushes
with nothing to land on
but sun flowers and ashes.
Troublesome soul, rarely patient or mellow
dyed in ochre and cider and marigold too.
Paint my madness in yellow
he said
and paint my sadness in blue!