​Make us gods, Aaron:
Moses delays. Make us
Gods!  Here the golden
earrings—make us
hearing. We listen
to gold.

Molten calves, Aaron:
give us pearly milk
(but not meat
for it is written
thou shalt not kill
thy sacred cows).  Let us
lick the cream
from Hathor’s teats
to gild our tongues.

Sit here, Aaron:
sit upon the Great
Steer for us.  Fashion us
into horns of strength.
We shall scale Sinai’s
empty seat and
exalt ourselves,
engraving your name
forever on our lips:
​Pharaoh. 

Lead us, Aaron-Ra:
we have made ourselves naked
as suckling babes. 
Speak your will
so we may consecrate
ourselves to your fame.

Then Moses saw
the mischief and brake
the tables of testimony,
grinding the gold
to powder, saying: Aaron,
what did this people
do to you?

And Aaron answered:
The gold flowed
like the Nile waxes hot.
What difference, Moses,
twixt Egypt and Canaan
when all people
are set to make
gods of men?

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