Arshille Gorky

I just finished reading Nouritza Mattossian's biography of Arshille Gorky. When she didn't get lost in descriptions of peripheral characters unrelated to Gorky's experience, Mattossian did a great job of telling Gorky's tragic story. It inspired me to write this poem:




"To Manoug, To Vosdanig, To Arshille"

I understand
I know why you did it
If I had been in your position
Would there have been any other choice?

But the tragedy
Is that the one who took your love
Never deserved it
And the ones who truly loved you
Could not show you in time
To mitigate your despair.

You were forced into a world
Of shadows
To which you brought light
Worlds, existences, boundaries
Straddled, smeared, transcended, lost;
Eyes unable to comprehend your ebullience
Preferring to vex you with stubbornness
Rather than embrace the simple joys you pined to share.

Circumstantial shadows eclipsed the sun.

We love you.