I'm dedicating this Celtic rose sonnet to Gloria, whose sonnets I have enjoyed for many years now, and anyone else who loves this beautiful form. Biltmore is an estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, just outside Asheville, built by Cornelius Jr. Vanderbilt after he had been diagnosed with a respiratory illness and advised to live in the fresh air of the mountains. It was built in a French Gothic style, deliberately embellished to impress and intimidate, to create the impression that this is a house owned by a family as royal as any in Europe. They actually scoured Europe to purchase many of the decorations and furniture to give it that air of aristocracy. The landscape was designed by Frederick Olmstead, most famous for designing Central Park in New York. It's a magnificent place, but what struck me so much was this air of ascendency that one longs to escape from, and you end up walking the back porch of the house to look at the horizon of wild mountains to get away from the frowning portraits and stuffy decor. I wanted to capture the longing for escape in the poem. The Celtic rose format is an abcd abcd abc abc rhyme scheme that I came up with myself. A bit different, and more subtle. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed my trip there. estory

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