TO THE GODDESS WHOSE NAME IS LOST

Malcolm North

In memoriam: Pt[-]yh of Amqarrūna

The words of her hymn are broken

upon artifacts of altars

and fallen orthostats.

Shattered stones of her sanctuary,

once solemn and sacred, now scattered

among tall weeds and rubbish.

Still these solemn stones sing softly,

praising perpetually former glories

ever faintly in fragments, engraved

in the forgotten tongue that filled

hallowed and hoary halls.

Still these sacred stones sing softly

incipits inscribed in

the detritus of defunct divinity,

tho none recall for no one hears

their clipped and canted calls.

Still these scattered stones sing softly,

tho her name is not spoken,

lost in the lacunae

of lonely lapidary

lyrics …

| Dedication to - [... ]

| exalt her glorious -- [… ]

| and remember forever --- [... ]

Published in Issue No. 10, Manus Aeternum, July 1st, 2025.

Malcolm North works in archaeology and likes to hang out in museums when he's not reading and writing fantasy fiction. He has previously published in Swords & Sorcery Magazine and has a forthcoming story in Crimson Quill Quarterly. He can be found on Bluesky under the handle: @malcolm-north.bsky.social.