Mummy

The definitions in Author's Note are brief and plagiarized from various sources .. Egyptian Culture and Ancient Beliefs are far more complex; oversimplifying is not my intention ;)

Mummy

Honest brutality in this dying.

Would you agree?

Reapers cutting edge dissecting 

Mowing lineage with glee.

Ka

Fruitful symbiosis ensconced on

meaty walls entombed.

Seedling treasures imploring

from the tomb

Ba

packaging an empty shell

imploring selfish need

obstructed by the greedy

ignoring innocent seed

Akh

highest of all attainment

living justly before the Hall

my life, my body and 

most of all My Soul

Mummy

Mummy wrapped spices beleaguer 

Disembodied heart and liver

Frees the dead                alive

relegating for profit ...another fetus shivers

E.

Author's Note

Ptah-Ptah is the Creator god par excellence: He is considered the demiurge who existed before all other things, and by his willfulness, thought the world into being.
Egyptian soul ka: the spiritual part of an individual human being or god, which survived (with the soul) after death and could reside in a statue of the person.
ba: spiritual entity; the part of the soul that could travel between the worlds of the living and the dead; has need for food etc.
akh: the transfigured spirit that survived death and mingled with the gods; only those judged worthy were gifted the akh ..criminals for instance would not get this part of the soul.
Mummies were initiated as a result of the Egyptian belief in re-incarnation and that if worthy a soul would need a body and worldly goods to "start over" ;) I tried to use the three parts of the soul to describe a perspective of the unborn and today's practice of abortion ..its a bit of a stretch, i know, but that was the intent with this one .. the title "Mummy" then becomes a somber play on words. Christine's poem "A Mummy's Viewpoint" takes on a very different social consciousness issue .. when I read it I was reminded of this old one and so resurrected it..if you haven't read Christine's poem you might like it: http://www.writerscafe.org/writing/cassie58/2097687/

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

babies come out of the womb, reincarnated souls find their bodies and come out of the tomb.
always been fascinated with Mummies...and the idea of why they did that.
your explanation within your poem is quite intriguing.
one thing the mummies have that would be an advantage....is a lack of speed, being so wrapped up, they were very slow, at least in what we saw in movies...imagine actually slowing down like that in life...
we might enjoy it much more, savor it...
i am really enthralled by the way you put this together...all the short pieces connecting so beautifully..
and the idea of the fetus shivering...when the dead wake...
terrific poem
j.

[Einstein Noodle]

wow! thanks jacob ... really happy you dug into this one as you did ... yes ... we should all slow down ... always says i! ;) take our deep breaths of life eh!? really do appreciate your sensitive and deep understanding of this one .. means a lot sir!
E.

[Lydia Shutter]

Really wonderful explanation of why they did what they did. Today's zombie movies closely resemble the look of a mummy...the wrapped beings. Wouldn't we all want to keep our loved ones with us through eternity? In our memories we do, but the Egyptians had their mummies....and the souls were wrapped up there with them. It's all in what you believe, isn't it? E, you are always unique with your writing. That's what keeps me coming back to read more. Lydi**

[Einstein Noodle]

yes... their beliefs are so interesting to me ... in such an ancient culture its the similarities to relatively more modern religions that astounds me ...the after life is a mystery that must be addressed ... those who claim different, to me, are in denial ;) love love love and joy Lydia .. thanks again for reviewing me stuff
E.

[Paul Bell]

Don't we all want to be reincarnated, and who knows, maybe we are.
Though I suppose when you're a mummy in the process of unbandaging yourself waiting for this baby entering the world, only to find the baby's been aborted. That's a real Egyptian conundrum.
Death is a great subject in every faith, and I'm definitely no different in my beliefs. I've left explicit instructions on my death that I be placed in the blue bin for recycling. This is actually the same as waiting in my Pyramid. Mainly cos it takes the council a thousand years to uplift the bloody bin. Great subject, Einstein.

[Einstein Noodle]

i am glad you are not terrified of your dying Paul ... that is probably a useless endeavor ... into the blue bin huh!? i think the Pharaohs would take issue with that tho ... unless it is a pickling bin .. then when your soul went looking for your body ... it could have a go at it ;) i personally do not believe in reincarnation ... but the soul...absolutely .. thanks always for reading me stuff sir ... i truly appreciate the time taken ..
E.

[Annette Pisano-Higley]

Thank you for your excellent tutorial E., as it enlightens ands helps us understand the themes in your metaphysical, thought-provoking poem. In the seamless flow of your graceful and balanced verses, you touch on many sacred mysteries of life and death through the filter of Egyptian beliefs. You add another layer to the ongoing theological and moral discussion. Wherever we take it, and whatever we believe individually, it is an Intriguing, profound and fascinating write my friend.

[Einstein Noodle]

wow Annette .. your review is a writers dream ... thank you so much ... you read it and feel it and see it ... and i especially am gratified by your "wherever" and "whatever" and "ongoing theological and moral discussion" ... thank you so much for taking time and reviewing ... i am pretty high lifted in me heart this morning .. going to keep that with me today come what may!

[Stella Armour]

omg, it's so hard to believe these beliefs, but even so i found this quite gave me the chills .

Who knows ? the ancients certainly had a lot of knowledge that outstrips some of our thinking ...

[Einstein Noodle]

i agree ... lots of faith and mystery, magick and mystics in Egyptian beliefs ... in my remarks to Christine's review i mention a few of the similarities i see between Ancient Egypt and Christianity (see below) ;) in face, i think all the major religions of the world have very strong similar building blocks ... our lives lived here matter ... if we live according to God's (gods') will there is reward .. if not there is punishment .. but its only the teaching of Jesus .. and His life .. that makes Christianity exclusive of all others .. Jesus either told the truth and is God's only Son (God become man) or He isn't ;) when i think of the tombs of Egypt ..i can smell the musk and damp air..the coolness of the stone as i walk down narrow stone steps in shadows .. always gives me a chill too ... ;) love on ya Stella! thanks so much for reading
E.

[Stella Armour]

yes, i too think there is no one specific religion, we are here for a reason to learn and be ready for the next journey...

[Chris Shaw]

Ah Mr E. Thank you for posting your Mummy poem as requested. Also I am thankful for the author's notes to aid understanding. You have managed to capture a complex subject into five mini poems. A totally fascinating subject, which I studied at school, and continue to do so even now given the opportunity. Thank you also for your very generous mention of my efforts from a much simpler perspective. One day I would like to visit Egypt. In the meantime I make do with the wonderful TV documentaries which do so much to extend our knowledge. Each one of your stanzas is a poem in its own right. I once saw a programme on TV about the mummification of a man. That's what he wanted and that's what he got. His wife made sure of that and the process was recorded for TV. Of all your mini poems, the final one I found most hard hitting because that covers the matter of abortion. It's always a pleasure to read your work, you have such a fine mind.

Chris

[Einstein Noodle]

thank you Chris ..for your friendship here and all your poetry ;) yes! Nat Geo is one of the best things to happen to TV in my opinion ... your wish to visit Egypt is most assuredly shared by many .. me self included ... i am envious of your studies of that ancient culture ... my exposure is quite minimal ... i find i make time for my lazy parts of the day rather than study ;{ ..... as a Christian, however, I am amazed at the similar threads of Faith between those of Egypt and Christianity .. I believe in a Triune God ... with the Father as Creator (by speaking words into worlds) while Egypt has many gods intermingled with material human life ... (God becomes man) and there are three parts of the Egyptian soul ... and Christian teaching is body, mind and soul ... lots of stuff like that ... is fascinating ..big hugs :)
E.

[Einstein Noodle]

ps. did you read Neville? he has been there .. and has something to help him remember it :)))))

[Neville]

You are bril our Gene and again, I aint talking fish.. you have ploughed so much into this single perfectly formed poem it its contents would over fill a dozen or more of the largest canopic jars... and then of course we can see the endless possibilities that begin to emerge when we look closer and see five perfectly poemed little gems, each one magnificent in its own rite, right and write... more cerebral than both my hemispheres combined.....Bravo my friend.. and yep have visited Chris's poem already.. another cracker... I once had my video recorder snatched off my arm as I was climbing down into one of the great pyramids in Cairo Egypt... got it back after a tussle but made to go back to the end of the queue... Neville x

[Einstein Noodle]

holy smokes Neville .. what an incredible visit .. made even more memorable by the attempted snatching ... makes me think of scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark or Romancing the Stone ... seems i recall they most always have a scene just like that ... what a life you are living my friend ... and thank you so much for your generous review ... i worry about this one being difficult to find a cohesive thread to it ... i feel gratified my friend ... thanks again for reading and your encouraging review
E.

[Neville]

Always more than just a pleasure, but summat to savour... N :)