The life of the mind is her new-found realm,
A far-flung land, an ever-open sky—
Only recently have we found a helm,
A light to enlighten, to clarify.

Precious stones may lie hidden within a mine,
Until found, they are gems hid from the eye—
Prior ages to fate had their wills to consign,
But we—human free will we dignify.

Any apprentice to a stern new art,
Must learn to suffer as one learns to know—
She must delve deep in the ways of the heart,
She must learn to find what lies far below.

She will yet reveal what hides far inside—
We in darkness will find in her a guide.

I wrote this in early 1992 for a woman with whom I was seriously involved. She had just decided to go back to school and gain her master's in psychology.

I've always enjoyed sonnets. I like the regular structure and the need to create something beautiful within a set of constraints.