(c) 2009 Anna Montgomery
Proud Nabataean daughters serve Al-Uzza,
morning star, light bringer, residing in the acacia,
patron goddess of Mecca and Petra
rebirth and immortality her initiation into secret lore
climb the thousand steps to the sacred precinct,
at the temenos there glory in her vast grace
Almandine eyes set within revered stone block
anqa takes flight, a mystic on the wing,
transmuting the godhead, merging creator and creature
bliss capable of annihilating the self
opens the gates to the kingdom of the dead
Ankh penetrates the hidden meanings
temple key to eternal life spiral unfolding
at the milk and blood anointed fiery alter
amphora holds her precious offerings
amulets assure perpetual stability
In this sanctuary, the holy of holies,
where the goddess embodies The Mightiest One
lions guard her gates, protect her people
rose stone caves animate her power omnipresent
tremble at the sight of the triumphant, luminescent one
This Ode is linked to Form For All: On Free Verse hosted by the immensely talented Samuel Peralta http://dversepoets.com/2012/05/31/formforall-on-free-verse-picasso-and-yachting/
Chromapoetica 
Greatly enjoyed the rich descriptions and imagery. 🙂
Did a wiki search on Al Uzza — very interesting.
Yes, one of three goddesses worshiped widely in pre-Islamic Arabia. Thank you for the visit, I posted this one at the last second as yesterday was a very busy day. I hope I won’t have any more NaMoWriMo close calls but I may :)!
wow, you just blow me away.
“temple key to eternal life spiral unfolding”
loved this line, loved this poem.
Gosh Kelly, what a wonderful compliment to get first thing in the morning! Thank you again for calling my attention to NaPoWriMo, what a challenge, and I believe it will be good for me as a writer. I look forward to reading your day three :)!
wow you really bring this place alive witht he history and mythology…and int eh details of the description…my fav part though…
merging creator and creature
bliss capable of annihilating the self
Thanks Brian, I was deeply struck by Petra when I was there (of course, our Muslim guide didn’t tell me any of what’s in the poem). It rained while we were there, something that usually only happens once a year, which added a bit of magic to the day. The camel I rode later in the day was called ZuZu which in the circuitous way of serendipity or synchronicity is the nickname of one of my dear young friends, Zoey. That’s my favorite part of the symbolic meaning of the anqa and the heart of the poem :).
that is so cool…would love to visit myself…i thought as i read this that i had been here before but it was great to revisit it as well…have never ridden a camel either…that would def be an adventure…smiles.
Thanks for the reread and you should definitely ride a camel at least once in your life :).
It’s surprising that you’re familiar with Al Uza. The name is mentioned in the Koran several times.
Subhan Zein
I do a lot of research for each poem. This one came from a combination of experience, I went to Petra as part of a tour of Egypt and Jordan in 2009, and research into pre-Islamic mythology.
Oh, wow! You did a research into pre-Islamic mythology? Splendid! Are you doing a PhD or something?
And by the way there are also some other names, Baal, Manat, and Hubal, I am sure you’re also familiar with them.
Subhan Zein
No, just intellectually curious and thorough by nature. Yes, she had sisters (Allat and Annat, roughly equivalent to Athena, Aphrodite, and Nemesis in the Greek pantheon). Some names carry other meanings into modern times I find it is best to avoid as I am not arguing politics or theology here, merely highlighting a mythology. So I don’t use terms that may be misinterpreted (i.e. Osama Bin Laden called America the modern Hubal) by the reader. I would be more likely to speak of Dushara in a poem about Nabataean mythology. Thank you for the interesting question and for reading many of the poems here today :).
Well, that’s interesting! You mean Allat and Manat (the Koran tem) refer to the same Goddes?
Subhan Zein
Not in my understanding, I think there were three goddesses worshiped by the Nabataeans and they were sisters. They prayed to the gods Dushara and some deified kings. However, the Nabataean Empire stretched far beyond Petra so its likely there were others deified elsewhere.
A finely-crafted ode here, underlined with a richness of detail that brings the narrative alive. One thing that you and I have in common (of many things, actually) is our penchant for research. I, too, have an obsession for getting the flora and fauna right for a particular venue of a poem, in the same way that you make sure that your mythological underpinnings are on a strong foundation. Beautiful work!
I’m having trouble with my spam filter lately, sorry I just found this but now it is rescued. I’m thrilled to hear you also do lots of research it is one of the most important aspects of poetry to me. In addition to the mythological research I read some 20+ odes by Pindar. Thank you for your kind words, they mean a lot to me.
I wondered what was happening to my comments… I feel like an archeological artifact that has just been rescued from oblivion… thank you!
A poetic encyclopedia of artistic expression and exploration of new frontiers from the past. Very creative presentation.
Thank you Henry, Petra wended its way into my being.
Wonderful magical and musical piece. I’m intrigued by Petra. You gave this piece mythic wings and soaring sounds. Mystery and myth never sounded better. Loved it.
Petra was my favorite part of the 21 day trip, a place I would love to see again. The title comes from John William Burgon’s poem Petra: ‘But rose-red as if the blush of dawn,
that first beheld them were not yet withdrawn;’. Gay, your encouragement is so important to me, thank you.
I’ve made light of your big words at times–I hope you don’t take me seriously–but I enjoy your poetry very much. This one is really beautiful, and the history and mythology in it are fascinating.
It makes me smile when I look at our two different poetry worlds; yours is so full of depth and knowledge, and mine is just redneck rambling. What a contrast.
And here, is a prime example of that: http://charleslmashburn.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/dreams-like-that/
Thanks Charles 🙂 I’ll be by soon to read yours!
Not only did you take me on a journey of poetry, but you also gave me an interesting lesson in mythology and history…always a pleasure to read your work Anna.
Shanyns, how kind of you to say; I look forward to reading your take on the prompt :).