You and I

By STANLEY MOSS 

You are HaShem, and I am a wanderer. Who should have mercy 

on a wanderer if not HaShem? 

 

You create and I decay. Who should have mercy 

on the decayed if not the Creator?

 

 You are the Judge and I the guilty. Who should have mercy

on the guilty if not the Judge?

 

 You are All and I am a particle. Who should have mercy

on a particle if not the All? 

You are the Living One and I am dead. Who should have mercy 

on the dead if not the Living One?

 

 You are the Painter and Potter and I am clay. Who should have mercy 

on clay if not the Painter and Potter? 

 

You are the Fire and I am straw Who should have mercy 

on straw if not the Fire? 

 

You are the Listener and I am the reader. Who should have mercy

on the reader if not the Listener? 

 

You are the Beginning and I am what follows. Who should have mercy

 on what follows if not the Beginning?

 

 You are the End and I am what follows. Who should have mercy

on what follows if not the End?

Notes:
(after an anonymous 13th-century Hebrew poem) 

 Stanley Moss, “You and I” from A History of Color: New and Collected Poems.