Poetry Rules

"Love in the Asylum"--my favorite poem by Dylan Thomas--is possibly the most lucid and poetic account of the unbearable madness of poetry creation. I cannot help thinking that the "girl mad as birds" that "raves at her will/on the madhouse boards" and in whose arms the poet suffers "the first vision that set fire to the stars" is a marvelous metaphor for his Muse and the fury of writing. I am deeply touched by this kind of madness. I too crave for a spark of that insanity in my poems.

Why should the Muse ever decide to bother me so early on Sunday morning is a mystery I won't even attempt to solve now. I just hope that my poem may be able to capture the amazing atmosphere of Cranach's wonderful painting. It was a real surprise to discover that Scotland owns a spectacular fuchsia thistle named Melancholy. Its unparalleled beauty is a perfect match to Cranach's work at the National Gallery in Edinburgh. I need to see both live soon, but I am heading back to bed now at 9.45 am Rome's time!

I have just discovered that poems can fall through the cracks. What a frightening thought! I guess technology is to be blamed. But, I still believe in the power of the handwritten word. Hand me my ink and my paper, O Muse, please and thank you!