and although he does not talk of ascension , or of transcending , harry was struck , more so now than ever before , by the feeling that ascending or transcending was precisely what reese had done as his final poem took shape : one , like scales heavy and shielding hungry , unyielding thirsty , greedy , lusty they wrap themselves through and through above , below , and through and through when hungry i think of food when thirsty i think of water when sleepy i think of sleep when needy i think of needing when greedy i think of possession when lusty i think of her , and her , and her what if what if by chance i could slip her grip slide through and out and beyond what layer then ?