I believe in this prophecy of Rimbaud, the Visionary. I come from a dark region, from a land separated from all others by the steep contours of its geography. I was the most forlorn of poets and my poetry was provincial, oppressed and rainy. But always I had put my trust in man. I never lost hope. It is perhaps because of this that I have reached as far as I now have with my poetry and also with my banner. If you are a fan of Pablo Neruda's poetry, as you should be, you will want to read his Nobel Lecture, delivered December 13, 1971. It is long but it is beautiful.