Nebsen and Nebet-ta
Phoebe Woo is a rising senior from Media, Pennsylvania. Her work often centers around themes of love, family, and the sweeter details of life. Phoebe has been writing for as long as she can remember, and she believes that the arts are the strongest tools of empathy and connection between people. When she’s not writing, you can find her spending time with friends in the nearest coffee shop.
This short piece was inspired by a bench plaque on the Brooklyn Promenade.
Nebsen and Nebet-ta
Nebsen
I write,
adorn me with your touch, and
fill me with your sacred spell, until
everything fades but
this shared tableau.
unravel me and
recognize
a testament to the years spent
tracing you
in every corner of my skin.
I extend myself past the breaking of my bones,
if only to hold you
light in this endless labyrinth of time
only my hands, love, are here to feel your warmth;
unite us now,
Nebet-ta
I sing,
I have found reason.
I have known desire.
the stories we’ve woven from
my hymns, your papyrus
etch two more lovers into stone.
if I may be remembered, it will be
by your side
in every lifetime,
knowing no paradise but this.
I lift myself from murky futures,
as dimmer worlds crumble without your
that has scrubbed all my color bare.
only my eyes, love, remain to hold your gaze.
fuse our sparking souls into one,
and carve us into eternity.