bodies down the hill
towards us, tongues flickering,
their massive fangs visible
even from this distance,
as Hermes waved to them.
Divine Serpents
I knew I should not be afraid,
but the serpents resembled a Hydra,
a terrible snake-headed monster
that only a son of Zeus could defeat,
and fear rattled inside my bones.
The closer they got, the bigger
they seemed, and the carvings
on their long, slithering bodies
were curious enough that I asked
Hermes, ‘What are those markings?’
Hermes’ soft, mocking laugh
warmed the air. ‘Where have they
been hiding you in Hades,
that you have not heard about this?
Those carvings are their love story.
They were given to them as a gift
of their enduring, immortal love.’
What a strange gift, I thought.
A lasting brand of their punishment
for loving each other so much.
The Voices of Serpents
What startled me was that,
though they were serpents now,
they had not forgotten
