Sotto Poet Poet Sijo

Notes About The Poem

 Akhenaten is among the most despised and contentious pharaohs in Egyptian history. Between 1353 and 1336 BCE, he ruled the 18th Dynasty.
Originally called Amenhotep IV, Akhenaten revolutionised Egypt's religious scene by renouncing the conventional pantheon of gods and introducing Aten, the solar disc, one god. This development contradicted many centuries of religious and cultural past; therefore, priests and average people felt like outsiders. With passion, he promoted his ideas and shifted the capital to Akhetaten, now Amarna. Although Akhenaten brought about major alterations in art and architecture, his reign was defined by economic instability, internal strife, and a lack of focus on international issues or foreign policy goals. Most notably, Tutankhamun, his heirs resurrected the ancient gods after his death and destroyed most of his work, identifying him as a heretic.
His rule alerts people to the vulnerability of the empire, unreasonable ambition, and spiritual absolutism.

Quagmire Pharaoh Crown - A Sijo Cycle

 
Written: November 05, 2025, for contest Sponsored by: Hilo Poet 

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He ruled with a rakish grin ... a slack scythe in his sanguine fist—
A pharaoh of spurious gloat ... redolent of lard and treacle,
His laws ratified in rapture ... festooned the sacred with spit.

A seraglio of skeuomorphs ... hailed his wondrous fashion sense—
The riparian fields sank ... in soaked squalor and dysania,
He wore a nimbus of stink ... a stygian sherpa to dire fate.

In his sesquipedalian bragging ... the soul of land grew slack—
Each boast is a blur, each law ... a grieving gasp of suction,
Even the seraphic ibis flinched ... its wings dimmed by his shadow.

With tales of Siamese stars and stew ... he won over the jury—
Though the slack-jawed and gaunt group ... gnawed on serendipity bones,
There was no spark ... just the sizzle of sand in a dying sun.

Now his tomb lies amid a cold dune ... decked with dysenteric myths—
A janiform relic of zeitgeist and treason ... stripped of all zest,
The sovereign ruin ... no ripple, no ravel, no rove of resile.

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sara Etgen-Baker November 5, 2025 at 5:36 PM a masterful write, Sotto! your vocabulary coupled with your creativity makes for a truly remarkable read. Thanks for sharing this....Texas hugs, Sara

Paula Goldsmith November 5, 2025 at 12:05 PM I enjoyed reading your wonderful write with a great picture. Thanks for the added note. I watch a TV show this week about this. You did a great write. "Good Luck" Hope You Have Autumn Blessings As You Write Away.............