\

In seventh grade I met him
in Mrs. Lawrence’s advanced

English. I met the whole lot.
But Hermes, with his herm-

morphic thing—god of many
shapes and shifts, turns and tricks,

of many hats and guises,
thefts and gifts,

dreams and crossings,
of the many changes and exchanges—

   \

Nightwatchman and thief,

                                           black root

he steals and keeps

                                           milk white moly

what he steals,

                                           one drug intercepts

the way you can steal

                                           another on its way

that which is given,

                                           to the witch

that which lunges at you.