January 5, 1991

Isis, you married your brother before the dual, ardent reign
while Ra, your father, still prevailed shaking, like damp
papyrus, with palsy, dribbling, keen, hot around
his bulging mouth.

You pondering these matters in your great heart saw dark
in the moon knowledge of Ra’s secret name where power
lay waiting— gleaming body in a sarcophagus.
Ra made all, so nothing new could be—

Yet, you fashioned the cobra fresh out of spit— trickled like
dew down a ponderous chin into the dust by the road
where, each morning, wobbled, trekked from Upper to
Lower lands. You knew to gather moist clay, to shape in
image of a shrouded snake,

Set in the fire of midnight— hiding in the grass along the
way, Ra accustomed to walk. Morning came once more,
as you would have it. Light fell out of Ra’s eye, gave life
to what you molded. Cobra reared its occult head, struck,
slid away.

The cry of Ra rang out— all came forth to enquire what
troubled the sun. Something wounded him— he did not
know— asking for magic, for spells — one by one
they came, yet, pain grew fierce and deep. At last,
he turned to you, who

Humbly asked if it were a snake that stabbed him. He did
not see a serpent— he did not make with poison— he did
not know. Its venom was not fire nor water though
the blood pulsed colder than water.

Next veins melted, liquid hotter than fire. The eyes are
clouds, yet the head sears with beams— ice yellow like
winter. He spoke in turn his names, all he made, heavens,
earth, the seas, horizons, dark, light, the great river, all
living things.

Besides that Khepera, the dawning, Ra the noon, and
Tum, the shadows of evening falling over. The poison
seethed on. You begged he name the Secret one. Ra
made you swear that none would know the name—
save Horus— the son you would bear Osiris.

With an oath, so given, the name passed, double—
whispered from his Ka to your great Ka. The name was
not amen. It has never been known— yet, it was the body
of the name whose hidden part was Ka. You mingled
knowledge with your spell and

The cobra’s poison faded as the sun’s rays. Ra severed
his reign on earth, took his place in heaven where, by day,
he crossed from east to west— by night he passed under
the earth through the Duat.

You, who learned the name, ruled with Osiris, taught those
who would retain to sow and reap barley and wheat, to
grow date and grape, to embody love, to honor Amen-Ra,
to build temples.