I spent a lot of time wearing my Black Beauties, a pair of leathery skates that gave me calluses before I could jump properly. The air is cold, the ice is still colder and landing on a blade hurts like no other. There is a lot of discomfort in ice skating and the constant fear of abrupt failure clouds confidence. Nonetheless, I made the connection between the skater "growing up" becoming a woman and the leap, because I too have spent many hours trying to land my plank. I was glad that my basic research strengthened my previous analysis; given Kooser's perspective on aging and time, it would make sense that he would choose an agile ice skater to represent elegance, the perfect way to freeze mortality. I think Kooser uses “Skater” to present a simple and beautiful truth. The vivid images convey the power and elegance of the skater without us having to try or stretch our imagination. For some, seedless grapes are enough to capture the ice skater's experience, perhaps evoking a smile or fond memory in the reader. For those who are compelled to explore the deeper flavors behind this sweet little poem, we find a mortality and time beautifully compressed into a single waltz.