Broken Images

He is quick, thinking in clear images.
I am slow, thinking in broken images.

He becomes dull, trusting to his clear images.
I become sharp, mistrusting my broken images.

Trusting his images, he assumes their relevance;
Mistrusting my images, I question their relevance.

Assuming their relevance, he assumes the fact;
Questioning the relevance I question the fact.

When the fact fails him he questions his senses.
When the fact fails me I approve my senses.

He continues, quick and dull in his clear images;
I continue slow and sharp in my broken images.

He is a new confusion of his understanding;
I am a new understanding of my confusion.

Robert Graves