MEMORY

“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.” Norman Cousins
 
Magpie Tales is showcasing the work of artist Joseph Lorusso, born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1966 and receiving his formal training at the American Academy of Art. He went on to receive his B.F.A. degree from the Kansas City Art Institute. Born of Italian descent, Lorusso was exposed to art at an early age. Through several early trips to Italy, his parents introduced him to the works of the Italian Masters. Lorusso would look to these influences throughout his early artistic development and they are still evident in his work today.
 
Here is my offering inspired by this painting.
 
Memory
 
The memory of a kiss
Is enough to sustain me
In the desert of your absence,
Its cooling draught
Relief for my parched lips.
 
The memory of an embrace
Will preserve my sanity
In the chaos of my singularity,
Its heat to warm
The frozen interstellar void.
 
The memory of a song,
To help me overcome
An existence without music,
The sound of your voice
A caress for my deaf ears.
 
The memory of a meeting
Is balm for my mangled heart –
A black frozen wasteland,
Its vacuum populated
By the shining sun of your existence.
 
We kissed and we embraced
When we met,
And music played –
To be remembered as our song, thereafter.
 
We parted and long after the goodbyes,
Memories still haunt me,
Wounding and healing
At the same time…