Anubis Redux
Egyptian god portrayed as a black jackal or a jackal headed male,
Anubis weighs the human heart at death to determine where the
person will go in the afterlife and serves as escort. Worship of him
might have originated from a desire for supernatural power over
jackals, which, as carrion eaters, disrupted graves.
One can have a change of heart, and so
in Egypt today, I find this strange-headed god
to have the good nature of a hound. I want
to stroke his muzzle, feed him from my hand,
believe this dog might whine or howl
at my death, might hold court for me, even though
my station doesn’t deserve it. He’ll guide me
where I must go next. Steadfast. His presence
a blessing here, and him more gentle than wild
now. He’d be the first to come at my death, even
if the only one, and he might tip the scale
in my favor—it’s possible. Perhaps, Isis
beside him has softened his ways, perhaps,
now, I am unwilling to think so badly of death.
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Kathleen Calby lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains and hosts writer events for the North Carolina Writers Network. Her work appears in Heimat Review, New Plains Review and The Orchards Poetry Journal. Named a 2022 Rash Award Poetry Finalist, Kathleen published Flirting with Owls (Kelsay Books) in 2023. Her Sufi background and other mystical associations contributed to a recent full-length manuscript she is completing about ancient and contemporary Egypt and the Pharaonic Era landmarks she was privileged to experience. Back home, Kathleen enjoys fried chicken and biscuits a bit too much and long, strenuous walks not enough.
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Stone Poetry Quarterly 