sunflowers

“sunflowers”

 

These heads of fire,
decapitated suns,
rot in their vases like prophets unspeaking.

Gold is not glory but fever,
a pollen of madness
that stains the hands of the painter,
and the mouth of the poet.

 

.

Reviews

[Chris Shaw]

A Van Gogh painting Freds. I am an admirer of his work. Sunflowers though are much more beautiful in their natural environment. I love how they turn towards the direction of the sun. Flowers in vases are not my thing. That first stanza is startling in its violence. My mind travelled to different places with this one. Have a good day.

Chris

[redd Brick Keshner]

He is one of those personalities that have accompanied me in my life journey. The poem’s voice though mimics that of another from his time period, rather coarse and caustic. Thanks, Chris🕊️🙏🏻

[Travis Gibson (poetic h..]

Emotion and metaphor blended with such precision. Bravo.

[Michael Sun Bear]

Hi Frederick, is this a reference to a Van Gogh painting, I seem to recall sunflowers in a vase? I love them in a yard or field, hate to see them made into table ornaments. Your second verse creates strong metaphorical imagery, well maybe not a metaphor for the painter. While I invest in gold, I do not like gold as a color or jewelry made of gold. I prefer the cold starlight of silver. So I doubt gold has ever crept into my writing. MSB

[redd Brick Keshner]

Ah, then you have understood the poem! Thanks, Michael. Somehow sunflowers as cut flowers are quite an awkward thing to handle and behold. And gold, well, as soon as it is raised all thoughts are muted and only the beholder's remain, as it were. Hope you have had an excellent week. See you around the site 🕊️🙏 RBK

[K. Louis]

"rot in their vases like prophets unspeaking"..wow...and the last few lines. love this little poem. well done.

[redd Brick Keshner]

And that was truly enjoyable to put together! Thanks for cluing me in on your journey with this one 🕊️🙏

[Lorry]

Well thank you very much Sir! Do you know what the fear of sunflowers is called, because I do! 😃 it is helianthophobia and the reason I was scared of them as a kid was that in my childhood home, we had a back garden with a path on the left side of it and me and my brother played football (soccer) there.
Every time he mis-hit a shot he would tell me to go get the ball, because I was a year younger. They terrified my six year old me as they were like six feet tall at least and I swear that I used to see a smiling emoji face on them, even before smiling face emojis were a thing!
Those sunflowers used to haunt my dreams and id wake up sweating dreaming id gone for the ball and got entangled in them, becoming the food they required to keep them growing.
I'd be shouting for my wee Mammy if she were still here, but an emergency appointment at my therapist's will have to do!
But on the plus side at least your words weren't praising these monstrosities! 😃

[redd Brick Keshner]

Hey Lorry, so glad that I wasn't for or against them sunnies. I admit they could be scary, much more than rows of corn or wheat. Hope you are in a better place with these monstrosities these days.

[RomaJ]

Decapitated suns and fevered gold feel both beautiful and unsettling; the way you capture the tension between beauty and madness is haunting.

[redd Brick Keshner]

Thank you for sharing that, RomaJ. You are much appreciated 🙏🕊️