Seven Forms of Het-Heru
Lady of the Universe
You in whom spirit is housed
and given sustenance pour
bliss and suffering from manifold
udders, streaming milk across
ink-oceans blooming with galaxies.
In jubilation, all beings honor You.
Eternal recurrence is Your crown,
the twelve patterns of all seasons.
Sky-Storm
Western terror, You scatter
tiny nations that choke
the land of HeruSet. Cobra
of Ra, You strike the enemies
of Ma’at without justification.
You from the Land of Silence
Hollowness of bone, deep
tone of silence emanating
from the great still sky; You
offer Your beloved the secret,
the emptiness of wisdom.
Bright Red
You are Ra entering the chamber
of sleep and sex, unveiling mystery
to craving hands and eyes starved
of sensuality: the delight of mocha
skin, cords of hair falling like rope
to lift supplicants from their longing.
Your Name Flourishes through Skill
Inspiration given to disciples,
not the amateur’s flourish,
but those who listen daily
and attempt Your work anew.
Blankness and raw material
is Your temple within which
pen, brush, or chisel textures
and imprints color and motion,
revealing Your secret name.
Lady of the House of Jubilation
Stand, children of Nut and Geb,
for every moment offers you joy.
Blessings on She who loves
and opens her breast to your
weakness, your bitterness.
Even after years of famine,
the harvest will return. Tears
of salt and dust will change
to the storm-song of laughter.
Mistress of the East & West
Dual-headed Het-Her,
Your arms trace the path
of Ra’s barque across space,
opening the gates of return
and emergence, wiping
clean the keening mouths
and soothing restless hearts:
waking to die, dying to wake.
NOTE: I had not planned to post this poem, but in light of the recent horrific event and the renewed conversation about misogyny’s poisonous influence in culture and role in perpetuating violence against women, I decided to offer this in honor of all women and all feminine people by celebrating this particular Goddess, also known as Hathor. As a male-identified person, I see my role as helping to reconstruct masculinity and maleness to create a more just and safer culture for people of all genders.
Further reading:
Dear News Media: UCSB shooting is a hate crime
If I Admit That ‘Hating Men’ is a Thing, Will You Stop Turning it into a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?
Against Patriarchy: 20 Tools for Men to Further Feminist Revolution