Day 81, March 22

Two days ago I wrote about the beauty of poetry. I neglected, however, to mention the strength in poetry. A well-crafted poem takes more than arranging lovely words in a pleasing pattern. It requires hard work.

The use of poet devices--alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyme, consonance--does not come easily to most of us. I possess no talent for writing poetry and admire those who do.

Robert Frost's poem "Mowing" demonstrates what sounds can become in the hands of a gifted wordsmith:

There was never a sound beside the
wood but one,
And that my long scythe
whispering to the ground
What was it whispered? I knew not
well myself;
Perhaps it was something about
the heat of the sun ...

Why am I quoting poetry to you today? The answer lies in my fourth sentence: It (poetry) requires hard work.

Too frequently, hard work or what is popularly referred to today as "heavy lifting" is not valued. Many individuals want and take the easy way out. They abandon families. They fail to live up to responsibilities. They ask others to do what they can do for themselves.

I cannot help contrast those people with those who put in the energy, sweat, and, sometimes, tears to do what is necessary. To take care of their families. To give to others. To make their small portion of the world a better place.

Frost understood the necessity of doing the heavy lifting to create enduring poetry. When we put in the hard work to create a life worth living, we are also creating something enduring.

So, for today, I am grateful for poets ... and people ... who do the heavy lifting.