In mad sky, Dan Ryan seeks to articulate a spiritual relationship with the power and beauty manifested in the natural world. It is a romantic quest, the search for meaning and explanation in the signs and messages provided by active and intelligent nature. Colors, images, myths and symbols are deployed in the poetry to illustrate the universal truths which signpost life's journey.The poetry reflects imperfection and the challenge to fully comprehend, but also demonstrates the glimpses of light and truth that we experience searching for a spiritual world which is obscured only by our own limitations. It is a struggle that is necessary to retain sanity and a sense of self but one that can only ever be partially successful. These feelings combine to produce a sense of wonder, yearning and resolve.