Melancolie, by Kitty Jospé

Extensive Landscape With Grey Clouds, by John Constable (UK). 1821.

Melancolie
             inspired by the statue by Albert György

Today, you frame a silver sky,
but whatever the weather,
as seasons revolve one
to the next, beginning, ending
only to begin again,
what remains, is your embrace
of hollowness.

Your body, a black outline,
emptied, waiting as it holds
the light and dark of a day
filling you without being
part of you--
an outside
breathing that cannot touch
your inner space.

I want to hold your crossed hands--
I want to know their story,  
how they have become worn.
I want to believe in the possibility
of their patina polished  
as if once, touched and loved,
touching and loving.
I want to believe that in spite of everything,
your hands stripped to gloss, are testimony
to what makes your head hang so heavy
in the emptiness
of your wracked arms--

and to that possibility
of touch and love.

Kitty Jospé

​Editor's note: The poet was inspired by the sculpture, Melancolie, by Romanian-born sculptor Albert György. The image shown is a placeholder because we were not able to contact the artist. We encourage you to click here to see the image that inspired the poem.
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​Kitty Jospé: "After retiring as French professor, I completed a low-residency MFA at Pacific University in 2009, and teach ekphrastic writing in summer to teens at our local literary centre which is a short walk from  the University of Rochester museum, Memorial Art Gallery, where I have been a docent since 1998.  I also give lectures on bringing poetry alive by careful study of art."