The Definition of Insanity

To read the mind of madness, as a rule
Is wrought with pitfalls leading but to grief.
When Nero smiled Rome nodded as one fool,
most jumping in to hide their disbelief

But there were some, who understood his ways,
who didn't blab while planning a new track.
The story of his end goes on days.
His corpus tossed into the trash out back.

The gladius then sheathed, or so they say.
His guards had done the job without a hitch.
His broken dream of art had gone its way.
His "Qualis antifex" now in the ditch.

We read of his great falling from his perch,
did he think that he’d left Rome in a lurch?