To Read the Ancient Map
Look at the map of Nippur. Because
The ancient map was drawn on a papyrus scroll,
It is possible to make out the word “Atlantis”
Next to a land mass.
Fold the map. The seal shows
That advanced humans sailed the seas
And lived in Ice Age climates.
The map has been used
By sailors as a location marker
For centuries.
Prepare overhead transparencies of the eight maps.
The ancient makers saw Africa as a trapezium,
Or a triangle, with the Mediterranean coast
As its longest side. The map on the ceiling
Of the chamber on Mars
Was a map of gateways
That linked the planets together.
Find a quiet spot in the reading room,
Take out a knife,
Then cut the map out of the book
Where it was bound.
The ancient makers would label their despair
“Here Be Dragons.” We label ours
Something more banal,
Hoping to render it innocuous.
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