Perfect Conditions

I didn’t learn in them.

It’s a wonder that I kept trying.

Ice is unforgiving and painful,

While my ego is easily bruised,

My confidence easily shattered,

And my desire easily extinguished.

I’m not sure why I didn’t give up.

Maybe it was because I already knew

What I learned today.

That although I had never before seen it,

Felt it,

Experienced it,

That the perfect conditions can turn something that once battered and bruised you

Into a wellspring of pure magic.

Sugar Mountain, Boone NC 2026