God of Pest Control

[Assaf1981]

What? I see

That Osiris is not

The sole god with green skin,

There’s but another god,

A smiling god,

With an unknown name:

a was sceptre,

and an ankh does he hold,

hairy leaves

grow out of his head

and his back,

probably secreting

sweet nectar;

he’s but an odd member

of this ancient land’s

pantheon.

 

This ancient land,

Is it not desert?

Do boglands exist

Is such a land?

Does peat moss

Even grow there?

I know not.

 

If such a god

Truly does

Belong to this

Pantheon,

Then its people

should indeed

feel lucky

to have such

a fascinating plant,

of which this god

rules over.

 

The pharaohs would’ve

Kept scores of these plants

In their palaces;

Such plants

Would indeed

Reduce the numbers

Of flies and gnats

roaming about,

By luring the insects

with sweet nectar,

closer to their

hairy leaves,

and once the bugs touch

the leaves’ hairs,

the leaves close in,

trapping them,

and slowly dissolving them,

and finally,

digesting them.

 

Sing praises,

All ye people,

 the pharaoh may proclaim,

both to Atum,

who created all things

and to this new god,

the lord of plants,

who has blessed us

With such a wonderful

And fascinating plant!