Wep Ronpet
by Erynn Laurie
I.
When the Moon-Beaked won the light
Light from the face of Khonsu
Light from a fragment of the moon's light
He made days
Thoth the Ibis made days
With his hand he made days
Days between the years he made
Days for Nut
Days for birth
Days for the gifts of Nut and Geb
The Moon-Beaked put his hands between the years
His baboon-hands he put there
Pushing
Making a crack
Opening time with his hands
He made days
Chaos emerged from the crack
II.
Between the Moon-Beaked's hands
Osiris emerged
From the thighs of Nut
Osiris emerged
From the belly of Nut
Osiris emerged
Flowing down from heaven
The Nile
Black waters making fresh the land
Raising green leaves
Raising papyrus and lotus
Raising barley for beer
Raising the leaves of onions
Osiris emerged
III.
Baboons cried out
As Horus emerged
Bright and burning from the thighs of Nut
The stars in his wings
Horus flew
His eyes opened
Making bright the sky
Water would never pass his lips
Only the blood of his enemies
Only the blood of his prey
His white crown unstained
Horus flew
Ankhs in his talons
His face too bright to look upon
Sun and moon his eyes
Horus flew
IV.
In the middle of days
The days between time
When chaos walked upon the land
Laughing
Set came down
Long of snout
He who laughs at dark
He whose destiny slays Apep
Set came down
Down to the prow
The prow of the Boat of Millions of Years
With eyes of fire
He set ablaze the lands of his enemies
Even at his birth he set them ablaze
Set came down
His red hair fiery
Red like desert sand
Master of all strength
Set took the Was-Scepter in his hand
Thunder began
V.
He held the year open
Held open the days
Days for Nut
The Moon-Beaked watched in wonder
Isis descending
On vulture wings
Isis descending
Geb cried out
In joy
And Osiris
Osiris raised his hands
Adoring her beauty
On vulture wings
Isis hovered
Her foot not yet on the land
Black land
Fertile land
The touch of her foot began
The song of cymbals
Vulture-Crowned
She walks among men
Under her wing
Fruitful earth
VI.
Singing her praises
The Bennu-Bird cried out
Shaking the sistrum
The Bennu-Bird cried out
Between the hands of Thoth
The Bennu-Bird cried out
Nephthys cried out
Cried out grief
On that day she knew
Shaking the sistrum she knew
Nephthys made her abode in Senu
Her abode in darkness
In decay
Her abode in death
In death that makes fertile
In death that breathes life
Shaking the sistrum
Nephthys cried out
Striding forth from the thighs of Nut
VII.
Laughing
The Moon-Beaked smiled
Chaos ebbed
Withdrew
As Thoth withdrew his hands
Chaos cried out, shrieked
Fading
As Thoth withdrew his hands
Nut drew breath
Resting
Her body bright with sweat
Her body bright with stars
Tired from birth
Geb raised up his hands
Raised up his children to Thoth
Raised them up to the Maker of Days
Raised them up in praise
Raised up five days outside of time
Re shouted out
Dismayed
"On no day, within no year"
Five days outside of time
Laughing
The Moon-Beaked smiled
A
Year of the Gods
by Phillupus
She measured the rule of kings,
of the first and brightest pharaoh,
the king of the heavens, Amun-Re.
She measured his rule of a year,
three-hundred and sixty days,
a circle's completion in round fulness.
At night she sang to me of the rule,
of its inadequacy, its lack of completion,
how the rule was broken and lawless
(for instruments of measurement,
though their calibration can be flawed,
have readings which speak for themselves).
I determined to do something,
to record a perfect calendar
and to vindicate my wife's readings.
With words I tricked him,
misdirected his attention
as I stole a degree of the light
from the solar disk upon his head,
distracted him with games of gain
as I robbed him of one seventy-second.
I brought the one abundance--
the five degrees of sunlight--
and gave it to my wife.
She took them into herself, illuminated,
and gave birth under moonlight
to the calendar's completion.
On the first day was born
Osiris, ever-living, twice slain,
the renewing light of the year.
On the second day was born
Horus, righteous warrior,
the undefeated champion.
On the third day was born
Set, the balancing darkness,
the tilting point of the year.
On the fourth day was born
Isis, star of the sea,
nurturing mother of the earth.
On the fifth day was born
Nephthys, shelter of nations,
devoted sister-wife of men.
From these five, many others
would come forth to birth
for the sustenance of nations.
From these five the means
to balance truth and victory
over chaos would be born.
The unknowable light of Amun-Re
would be reflected, refracted,
recognized, but not dimmed, in these.
And in five days of completion
the perfect solar round
would be the new measure of rule.
Seshat the measurer was the mother
while I, the writer and scribe,
Thoth, gave truth to these words.
Let none say that those who record
do not conceive or give birth
only to insubstantial ideas.
