Poem: "What the Statue Says"

[ysabetwordsmith]

This poem came out of the August 3, 2010 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from minor_architect and sponsored by laffingkat.

What the Statue Says

Go to the town of Pharai
where the statue of Hermes the Messenger
stands in the marketplace.

Wait until evening comes
and blue shadows wrap the statue,
and the busy crowd begins to thin.

Then burn your incense,
leave your coin on the altar,
and whisper your question in Hermes' ear.

When you climb down,
cover your ears with your hands,
and walk quickly out of the square.

Uncover your ears,
and the first words you hear
will be the Messenger's reply.

But take care
what you ask of the gods,
for their answers are always the truth.