"Fear, the physical fear of war, the material fear of bombs and shells, annihilated within me all aspects of false literature and left naked the meaning of a true need for poetry. Fear was in turn annihilated in me by the salvation brought me, as a man, of a poetry made of nakedness and truth".

Odysseus Elytis

Commentary:

I read this piece of Elytis's writing in the intro to his book Eros Eros Eros, and it was an epiphany... I have always been asked what it was like growing up during the Lebanese Civil War. Ugly. Very, very Ugly. However, I think I was lucky to have suffered that much.

Remulus of Arabia
March 3, 2001
Sherman Oaks, CA