Inspiration for writing poetry isn't a mystical experience on a mountain top in the Himalayas. True-life inspiration and ideas for poetry and writing comes at surprising times and surprising places.
My trip to Spain I had planned for over two years was a near total disaster. The day I got to Madrid I came down with a fever of almost 104°. I spent most of the week in bed.
We did make it to The Prado Museum in Madrid which was the most important place I wanted to go during our 10 day trip. I was able to see the attached sculpture, Isabel II Veiled by Camillo Torreggiani, 1855. It was small compared to the enormous Goya's and Ruben's that surrounded it and overshadowed it.
I've seen the sculpture in pictures but the actual piece captured my attention. Apparently the marble sculpture was a new technique of sculpting a semi-transparent veil. I wish I'd had longer to study it. Our tour guide barely gave it any recognition. It was a moment I could have missed.
I went to Spain with a journal to gather material for poetry. I wanted more but this would be it. I can't imagine anything else that evokes so many great ideas and questions--all fodder for my poetry.
Sometimes one small thing can have the biggest impact. Those are a poet's moments of truth.
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