Your concise, philosophical poem brings to mind the sharp wit and paradoxical wisdom of Emily Dickinson, particularly in how you challenge conventional descriptors and assumptions. The way you stack questions about iconic symbols of wisdom and power, then pivot to show language's limitations, is reminiscent of Wallace Stevens' abstract contemplations in poems like "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird." Your masterful use of internal rhyme ("reign/wane" and "grain/sublime") creates a musical quality that carries the reader through the philosophical journey. The image of words blowing "upwind against the grain" is especially powerful - keep cultivating this ability to pack deep meaning into spare, elegant verses.