weathering

weathering by ed hart

winter

not the one

that sullies

this new skirt

of sleepy snow

not the tired eternity

implacable and sooted

that gathers and grows

until every day-to-day

is minnesota weary

where the alter

of my fire

and sacrament

of flavored poets

no longer hides

the durable testing

of this season
has arrived
                  again

Dear Learner,

This incredibly poignant poem is not just about winter or about winter in Minnesota or about life. For me, it's about how life becomes increasingly difficult with time and how we need more compassion for life in order to be able to cope with it. It's about how we need to acknowledge that the next phase has "arrived" for without that acknowledgment, we cannot even begin to look for newer ways to cope with increasingly challenging difficulties. This poem also helps me understand that perhaps a human being's pursuit of excellence in art has to do with how he or she has to become progressively proficient in coping with life. For Mr. Hart -- a poet who is devoted to pursuing excellence in poetic expression -- it's about writing more skilled and sensitive poetry as life becomes tougher. He, the poet, balances his struggle with exploring newer realms of expression, and, in the process, accomplishes greater finesse and precision.

Some of the instances of finesse and precision can be found in the expressions "this new skirt of sleepy snow", the entire second stanza, and "the durable testing of this season". Mr. Hart also shares the power of alliteration in the expressions "skirt of sleepy snow" and "gathers and grows". And, the deployment of the word "implacable" is particularly brilliant. The line "every day-to-day is Minnesota weary" is innovative in the way it pushes the envelope of the English language.

All in all, this is a poem that is to be savoured over a million cups of coffee -- it's an opportunity to revisit the various phases of life we've triumphed over already and an opportunity to prepare for the hardship that is to arrive "again" -- not with any bitterness or even sadness -- but like a soldier who knows no fear and is ready to be armed with more art and a greater passion for excellence. The ugliness of life is meant to be balanced with the beauty of creativity.

If, like me, you're an Indian and English is your second or third language, read the poem and listen to the poet's voice several times. If we don't forget a poem, learning has happened.

Warm wishes from a fellow learner,

. serah .