As a young lad,
As a young maid,
the gender-fluid seer
met a pair of snakes.
Tiresias lost their eyes
but expanded their wisdom.
They advised seven generations
of Theban kings.
They provided marital therapy
to Zeus and Hera.
When Odysseus showed up
in the afterlife,
he found Tiresias counseling souls.
Tiresias fascinated the ancients.
Gender reassignment
for them,
was a kind of magic
or a gift from the gods.
For Tiresias,
a personal discovery,
a period of exploration,
and ultimately,
a choice.
Greg R. Fishbone
May 2020