Tiresias Struck Through

As with most myths, the story of Tiresias exists in multiple versions that often cheerfully contradict and/or overlap each other. Their Wikipedia page makes for quite entertaining reading.

The relevant, reasonably stable thread is this: Tiresias was a prophet who existed as both male and female for different portions of life, either as gift or grievance from the usual Greek kick-line of gods. Given the strict Ancient Greek categorization of women, the fact that everyone seemed to just roll with this is sort of hilarious, in a what-are-y’all-not-saying kind of way – or so I’ve always thought.

At any rate, Tiresias’ sex-change is usually tied to their act of striking a pair of snakes engaged in, um, co-slithering behavior. You heard it here, kids – gender panic comes back to bite ‘ya.

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(Also, if explicit language is not for you – consider this the Universe releasing a scurry of metaphoric ADD squirrels to distract you from the rest of the post.)

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1.
I’m a prophet not a whore but:
But for –

For a while lines blurred. Hera
And He two snakes I struck through 
Politely, as one does with Gods.

As a prophet and a whore I can’t remember which
Happened before – 

Strike or – form –

2.
I’m a prophet not a whore but for
A while all lines blurred yet

The really
Ridiculous thing is in a place like
Ancient Greece 

Where I should sit at home and comb
Fleece –

How the hell did I get to
(Fuck around)
(Fill my)(Seek my fill)
(Seed my -)(Sex)(O)(So full)
See the world

As a woman? –

3.
I’m a prophet not a whore and for
A while all lines blurred no
Words

Fit my state. No parthenos to gynē
Pipeline, nor hetaira, pallakē, pornē
To thēly
To discuss, Aristotle only touched 
My neutered form 

“In some species the female is more
Aggressive 
Than the male”

(Not-neutered-I can say I touched 
As blind
On more
Than Aristotle –
Many times -)

4. 
I’m a prophet not a whore but still – for

A while all lines blurred all all
(Inside with need all seed all) 
That other form – I –

All grain on threshing floors, oil
Slick with first press stores, wine’s heady
Heavy gush down to the blind-colored sea 

Now hush I – voiced to rise – as women’s threads
Stretch 
On spindled tides’ 
Retreat-and-follow sighs –

The sea with tides that form away
Land’s substance-shores and hold
No space no lines blurred all 
By time but what times all unwinds –
All I unblind –
(Rise, fill) find –

Other form I now find whore more

Inside lines I –
That other form, inside my lines – I,

All lines blurred, I find. 

5.
I’m a prophet not a whore but did

My substance receive form, did
I birthing-warm-and-score my womb
For two, four, none or more? Where
(Hold, skin, no-lines-more – give -)

Are those pieces 
(Where was I -)

6.
I’m a prophet not a whore but for
A while, a time, all lines
Could not hold me. I blurred.

When (I) saw those snakes again 

Did (I) hesitate?

7. 
I’m a prophet not a whore but for a while –
Sacred and profane or all such tame
Concepts as men
Give form to –

Substance sees differently. 
All different sides, all-alive all un-
Lined. 

∞.
(I’m a prophet, perhaps
More, or no more – un
Defined -)

I’m a prophet, and blind. All
Lines blurred 
A long time 
Ago, or too far 
To future-find –

Forms’ unsteady state.
All things happened then or when and
I, I (blurred lines, blind, reception site)
Receive, in my substance –

Opened soft as unwound wool 
‘Til Gods take up to spin.
Change, then, many times –
Wrap and rise, twist both, all same
Time 
(Prophet-whore-truth-blind)

Twist-combine the wool to know
Best, its kind (blurs lined) now –

Now all-twined, as snakes 
Just struck –
Just un-lined –
From-about all form Divine. 

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