the Egyptian priest tilts the clay tablet
so water from the hieroglyphics
can splash on his shaved head
and drip from his chin

the Muslim calligrapher swims words onto rubbed paper
while the desert watches from the open window

the Irish monk paints himself
peeking from behind a Greek letter

this cheap ink on common paper
these ciphers under the glass screen
hunt the ether like a starving falcon

(Published in IthacaLit, Summer 2016)