You and I

I often consider the use of first person in writing

and--like a man who looks in the mirror & turns away to forget what he sees--

come to no conclusions about who I am during this play of words.

Mistaken, I think that I can be this shiny trophy of phrases & clauses.

But the best avatar is the version that transcends the personal,

like Dante’s assent of Purgatory:

from the first level to the second,

from first person to second,

from pride to envy, 

a translation occurs. 

The trick of translation is the hard part,

but when the first becomes the second,

then it will be satisfactory.