@ 27.055 MHz: Ad Astra; At The Mastaba Of Khnumhotep & Niankhkhnum

At this portico, Smenkhkare prayed to the Aten.

Kaisarion and Diocles clasped hands in shy silence here.

And here, Antinous wept on Hadrian's shoulder.

Four barefoot adolescents and one seriously sandalled Imperator 

felt the thrum of the silent witness, preserved within these mute stones---

against death, against time, against storms of winds and sands---

that Love is Love and Life is Love, and Love is always and wholly Love.


Declare that Truth in Coptic, Koine, and Latin:

carve it in granite more massive than Ramases' colossi

at Abu Simbel and elsewhere:

proclaim it to the Cosmos' edge. to clock time's final brink,

as long as stars still constellate and monkeys stink.



Starward

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arqios's picture

As it is being read one can

As it is being read one can hear the humming and chanting. Perhaps we have Hollywood to thank for that, the silverscreen generation.


here is poetry that doesn't always conform

galateus, arkayye, arqios,arquious, crypticbard, excalibard, wordweaver

S74rw4rd's picture

I am

I am horribly---HORRIBLY---embarrassed that I failed to acknowledge this comment in a timely manner.  Thank you very much for commenting, and please forgive my incompetence in keeping up.   And yes, when I was writing it, I could hear the humming and chanting as well.  I have loved the film, The Egyptian (1954) and Mika Waltari's novel of the same name that inspired it, since my viewing of it on the Sunday of our Memorial Day holiday in 1974 (while eating my father's rotiserrie chicken---it doesn't get better than that).  As I have grown older, I have become particularly impressed, even emotional, about, the film's musical setting of what, I suppose, is the movie's version of the Pharaoh Akhenaten's Hymn To Aten---which, in the film, we hear beginning with the words, "How beautiful art thou . . ." (although they do not appear in the translation I have read of the actual ancient poem, and I am not sufficiently a scholar to know the difference).  But the beauty of that music is, to me, ancient Egypt.

   Thanks again for the comment, and please forgive my inexcusable incompetence in failing to reply timely.


Starward

arqios's picture

That music is distinct and

That music is distinct and pulls up specific emotions that only the silverscreen can evoke. Many film makers should have a periodic retreat into that 'magic' realm in order to keep the flame alive. A more recent film 'Hugo' attempts to encapsulate and encompass this expanse of the cinematic universe. Ben Kingsley, I think it is, does a fine job of this in has role as the pioneer cinematic director that became jaded and swallowed up by the present day drudgery.


here is poetry that doesn't always conform

galateus, arkayye, arqios,arquious, crypticbard, excalibard, wordweaver

and_hera_met_zeus's picture

Impressive.  I love Egyptian

Impressive.  I love Egyptian symbolism.

S74rw4rd's picture

Thank you very much for that

Thank you very much for that kind compliment.  I am grateful that you stopped by.  And I am very embarrassed by my stupidity in failing to reply timely to the kindness of your comment.  Please forgive me.


Starward