Word Rites

At the museum a statue of Horus carved into black stone. The base of the statue is inscribed with symbols. In an ancient ceremony the Egyptians prayed to this secret son of Isis and Osiris and poured water over the inscription. The water, now imbued with special healing properties, was captured as it ran off. An injured party could apply the water to a wound in a compress. Isn’t this what all our best word scratchers aspire to? The books that endure for generations are not only temples of craft, they strive to heal the wounds of family, history, politics, fear.

#art, writing