Hermes, Psychopompos
©October 28th, 2019
By Vijaya Sundaram
I walk to one side,
Always slightly behind,
Ready to catch you,
And take you swiftly,
Painlessly, to where you need to be.
You never see me,
But I’m there, your faithful shadow,
But I’m there, your faithful shadow,
Attached to you while you live,
Your transport, your guide,
Your truest friend, one who knows the way.
You have others, yes,
But they are creatures of flesh,
And prone to the same things to which you are.
And prone to the same things to which you are.
I, sadly, cannot leave you, or this path you walk.
Though I would love to.
I might have had dreams, once
Dreams of becoming flesh, perhaps,
Of treading this path you tread
With real feet, real muscles, real feelings.
I am tired to the soles of my soul, your soul.
Once, I laughed in sheer delight –
For another me had been sending your messages,
In person, and via that unseen route you humans love.
And my various me-s collided with each other,
And you fell down the steps, texting as you fell –
And for one moment, I was free.
And my Psychopompos Self stood up,
Ready and willing to take you to that land
From which you would never return,
But you returned to your self, and others
Carted you off to a place of healing.
I stayed by your side, though.
One never knows, for tomorrow
Arrives hot on the heels of today.
And I traverse both today and tomorrow
With equal ease, for speed
Is of the essence,
My essence.
Still, I am tired, today.
I would like to go home,
And lay down my caduceus,
Would like to be transported,
Instead of transporting.
I’d like to be a simile,
Not a metaphor.
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