Judith
a poem for Artemisia Gentileschi

Artemesia's brush stroke,
told stories beyond the pages of any book.
The emotions caged in her heart,
the words which caused her to choke,
scream out with every stream of blood.
In Judith slaying Holofernes,
she conquers her own demons,
and brings the patriarchy to its knees.
The women remain calm,
swallowing any feelings of guilt or grief,
they're gifting the undertaker a new body to embalm.
Artemisia was tried in court against malignant men,
she was tortured for her truths and pained in hopes she would lie,
she'd keep her story just they same only for them to begin again.
Judith got her revenge and oh it tasted sweet...
Artemisia painted women scorned & loathed in holy books,
yet never truly got to make that sugary revenge her treat.
About the Creator
Josey Pickering
Autistic, non-binary, queer horror nerd with a lot to say.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Comments (2)
Love it. I am actually in the midst of working on a piece about Artemesia for the Art community. She and Caravaggio are some of my favorites of all time. To say nothing of the boldness and beauty of your poem.
What a badass