Two Egyptian Portrait Masks

I. Nefert-iti

A memory

carved on stelae of

the city Akhenaten built for God—

Fair of face    Joyous with the Double Plume

Mistress of Happiness    Endowed

with Favor    at hearing whose Voice

one rejoices    Lady of Grace

Great of Love    whose disposition cheers

the Lord of Two Lands—

whose burntout

loveliness alive in stone

is like the fire of precious stones

dynastic

death (gold mask and vulture wings)

charmed her with so she would never die.

II. Akhenaten

Upon the

mountain Aten spoke

and set the spirit moving

in the

Pharaoh’s heart: O Lord of every land

shining forth for all:

Aten

multi-single like the sun

reflecting Him by Him

reflected.

Anubis howled. The royal prophet reeled

under the dazzling weight

of vision,

exalted—maddened?—the spirit moving

in his heart: Aten Jahveh Allah God.