An Artist

Kenyon-Cox - Augustus Saint Gaudens

I love the thought of his anger.

The way he was a dog barking 

at the image of himself barking.

And his hatred of his own embrace

of working as the only thing that worked -

the vulgarity of expecting ever

gratitude or admiration, which

would mean a stealing from him.

The way his fortitude held and hardened

because he did what he knew.

Seamus Heaney, An Artist (edited)

Der Meister und Margarita

An Elegant Lady With A Yellow Rose :: Emile Vernon
http://www.allpaintings.org/

"Also, sie gestand, sie sei an jenem Tag mit den gelben Blumen in der Hand losgegangen, damit sie mich endlich fände und wenn es nicht dazu gekommen wäre, würde sie Gift genommen haben, da ihr Leben leer sei."
Der Meister und Margarita, Michail Bulgakow
----

That singer I like did a song about the book, too, but on a different aspect. Doubtlessly, I'll present the song here, as well, but I liked the book long before I liked him ... so this one is for the pain in impossible choices.
Yellow flowers in her hand ...and the poison all ready in her mind ... oh, Margarita ... It's such a great novel, really!

When dreams are dying ...

This is not going to be my weekend. Not by a long way.

Such sadness in life; sometimes it hurts just to be alive.  It is a relief to watch and listen to others, who have been there, too, and found the strength, integrity or whatever to take the pain and turn it into something beautiful.

Black village of gravestones.

Skull of an idiot.

Whose dreams die back

Where they have been born.

[...]

Life tries.

Death tries.

The stone tries.

Only the rain never tires.

(Ted Hughes, Heptonstall)