For our series Making of a Poem, we’re asking poets and translators to dissect the poems they’ve published in our pages.

My friend gave me the packet of letters to keep, and I knew that one day I would try to make something out of it.” ...

I realize my five-hour pretest class has elapsed. To take my road test again, I will have to start over completely and take it again. This is another fifty dollars and another five hours of my life.