Learning curve

By rote meant 
the drills you did
every day: times 

tables, verb forms, 
capitals of nations--
as if each repetition

might bring the goal
of some kind of 
perfection 

that much closer.  
Remembering as you
were expected 

to, you came to 
the end of the set;
and just when you 

thought you were done,
a door leading else-
where opened; and

it turns out you
weren't dressed for 
the weather there.