A huge effort for a meagre reward.
Does this practical definition 
of poetry discourage? It shouldn't 
if the benefit gained can be achieved
no other way.
First, to even understand the language,
we move away from the centre.
If we stay around the centre our language 
will be that of quotidian advertising and pop songs.
So we embark on an endless journey, it's quite natural.
It's a journey through time and no one can blame us
for our ambition in racing along. But this impatience
for achievement will normally die out 
before any achievement is made.
And in the quietude that follows
we may come to see the distance covered 
as colour dawning from  a grey sky.
At this point we may recognize our position 
as peripheral and irrelevant by most counts.
And it is. This is hard, but does it discourage?
It shouldn't for now is the time
those few who can give an account of their soul
will tell of the journey we all undertake
so all of us may further our understanding
just as the light so beautifully might 
slowly emerge and strengthen with the morning.
It can happen no other way.