Starry Night (Poetry)

It must have been a fearfully cold night, Vincent
unclouded sky and earth grown hushed and still
with gold stars burning — rolling spheres of light, Vincent
the village sleeping quiet below the hill

Moon’s crescent tumbling head over heels, Vincent
you hardly could keep pace with your brush
who else can ever know just how it feels, Vincent
to paint like that — a madman’s giddy rush?

Like Catherine Wheels they spun in your head, Vincent
you fought to catch their boundless energy
the vision kept you from your lonely bed, Vincent
this cyclorama you alone could see

Wild swirls of passion mixed with so much pain, Vincent
how could anybody fail to sense your plight?
for it’s written there again and again, Vincent —
the world you’ve captured in a starry night

You’ve stripped your spirit bare as a white bone, Vincent
the beauty of a soul that’s passing through
so few possess that crazy gift you owned, Vincent
or suffered life as frantically as you