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Justin Addresses Shu, the God of Dry Air, and Tefnut the Goddess of Damp Air, Who Will Marry in Their Home, A Terrarium


07.27.19 Posted in today's words by

Marc Tretin’s most recent poem to appear here was Justin Addressed by Ra, a Sun God, Whose Weeping of Bees Symbolizes Resurrection” (June 2019)

Justin Addresses Shu, the God of Dry Air, and Tefnut the Goddess of Damp Air, Who Will Marry in Their Home, a Terrarium
By Marc Tretin

Oh Shu, Oh Tefnut, Congratulations!
I am thinking of the mystery of marriage
while I feed a millipede to your frog. Your
Openness to each other is shown by your
Transparent naked bodies, except for the
Groom’s ascot and the bride’s veil. You’ll marry on
More than vows of fidelity but on a vow
Of the purest abstinence. You both lack
Genitals, causing me to coolly wonder
About my wife’s fling with that archeologist
Because doing so is easier than thinking that
This frog reminds me of my daughter, since both
Puff out their cheeks with satisfaction when they
Gulp down their food. I keep a loud mantra in
My head, “She’s so good, she’s so kind” to shout down
What I really think, “She’s slow. She’s so slow.
Will she ever read?” I’m scared for her. My wife,
When Zipporah speaks to her, masks a wince and
Looks away. Those little gestures of hers stink
How jealous I am, Tefnut-of-the-damp-air,
And Shu-of-the-dry-air, that you as husband and
Wife, can create a perfect atmosphere
for a little frog. Can my wife and I
do as well for our daughter? It’s a mystery
when a marriage works and when it does not.



One Response to “Justin Addresses Shu, the God of Dry Air, and Tefnut the Goddess of Damp Air, Who Will Marry in Their Home, A Terrarium”

  1. Ed Zahniser says:

    Dynamite poem. Wow, thanks.

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