Byron
Byron! Passionate pilgrim of the old Levant and – more
Importantly – the secret inner-world that lives concealed
Within the minds of those exiled from all they cherish most.
You were the guide who knew the road leading to Hope’s lost shrine.
In your expressive lines on Harold, Manfred and Don Juan
There may be found, (by those who closely search for honesty
And truth to light the pathways of benighted fate), a torch
Of lived experience which clearly can illuminate
Those fatal pitfalls that imperil each incautious step
Towards the sacred temple of some chosen destiny.
Your journey to the source of inspiration’s light was long
And arduous; yet you endured it with unflagging zeal.
Though many mock the self-inflicted scourging of your errant heart,
I honour your devotion to the Icon of your noble Art.
