A BROKEN CLAY TABLET

For I am a broken clay tablet.

Yes, I’ve lived my life in the sand.

Broken and split and scattered below

In a tel deep down in a far away land.

I’ve been molded and shaped and flattened a bit

‘Round 3500-2000 BCE

Someone carefully wedged into wet clay

Cuneiform writing, specific for me. 

I’ve been hardened and shelved and picked up and read

I’ve been tossed and conquered and burned city wide

Akkadians first, Babylonians next,

Sumerians bowed along with their pride.

Millenniums old, discarded and dropped.

Covered over and over, depending who won.

Past civilizations, now of interest to men.

Shed light on wild passions or a prodigal son?

Diggers find pieces or excavate there

At steps that are worn by an old crumbling wall.

A library column or an ancient bedroom.

They ooh and they gasp! A beginning that’s all!

Broken pieces fit puzzles if they find all the parts

But, I’ve a story to tell…The High Priestess of Ur

Enheduanna by name and also by pen

When in power they brought her rare gifts of fine myrrh.

Exalted by most and thought very fair

Akkadian’s Ishtar dubbed Sumer’s Inanna

Both worshiped the Goddess of Love and of War

Of equal importance thought the just Enheduanna.

But a dark day came, an uprising Sumerian

Exiled Enheduanna, wiped spit in her face.

To the far edge of the steppes next to the lepers

Away from her Robes and Temple of Place.

Laid out 42 Hymns before this injustice

Reed stylus, wet tablet, she wrote and she wrote

Of music and love and passions aplenty.

First person author, first person invoke.

Time passed and a conquering Akkaddian replaced

The uprising Sumer that had hauled her away.

Back to the Temple and into her Robes

Where she continued to govern, revered to this day.

“Exaltations of Inanna”, her most well known piece

Evoking her wrath and her dark fall from grace

Believing too that Inanna brings joy

Never give up or give in, but embrace.

For I, a clay tablet,  have given you clues.

Her lessons we take when we let go and sing.

The Unurban watchers and  those that are watched

Reciprocity love that lies there within.

COME JOIN US AS SOON AS  YOU CAN!  

YOU ARE VERY IMPORTANT.!