Egyptian Slug Swaggered

The Egyptian slug swaggered with all of his baggage

down roadways of sand, his holy Ka ragged.

He didn’t have funds for a tomb full of wheat,

but the honey-laced beer smelled mighty sweet.

He swallowed his fear for the joy of creation

yet had no carvings to show his name or his station.

As they wrapped him in linen and threw on the salt,

he reviewed his life and found all his faults.

He’d sought many pleasures and smoked like a fish

and made lots of art, almost everything he’d wished.

It finally dawned on him as it all became clear:

it wasn’t about the wrappings, the wheat, or the beer.

His soul had a goal of traveling beyond

by virtuous trips around this glorious mound.

If Osiris granted him the way out of strife,

he’d move into the groove of a full afterlife.

If not, he’d be devoured by the goddess’ teeth

before his soul could grow beyond that particular belief.