Tino Villanueva composed and published ten magnificent poems in a chapbook titled Primera Causa / First Cause (1999). Written in Spanish and translated into English by Lisa Horowitz, the slim volume of poems focuses on a central theme—memory or Mnemosyne in Greek. In my analysis of these poems, I posit that memory and its twin, remembrance, are central to the creative process. The word memory appears throughout the collection, and the poet dialogues continuously with memoria. The poetic voice repeatedly invokes memory to come to his aid in moments of creative endeavors. Memory serves as a muse that is indispensable in writing the poems, as noted by the persona. The poetic voice clearly articulates this important element while he sits at his desk attempting to write. In the poem “VII. Más la voz que el tiempo” (18) / “VII. Voice over Time” (19), the poet exclaims: “Memoria mía, memoria mía, / dame lo que es mío y enséñame / la pura manera de contar lo que se ha ido / —que pueda más la voz que el tiempo” (18), /“Oh memory, my memory, / give me back what is mine and guide me / in the very telling of everything that stayed behind / —may my voice win out over time” (19). Memory and creativity are vital to the lyrical voice’s continued existence; they are the vital force that gives his life meaning and sense. My study focuses on the relationship between memory and creativity as well as the key role memory plays in the creation of the poems.