A/N: Written for the 5,10,20,50,70,100 fandoms challenge, fandom 29: the Ramose Series (by Carole Wilkinson). Also written for the 100_poems challenge, poem 41 and day 20.

For those of you not familiar with the fandom, the Ramose Series is set in ancient Egypt, where Ramose was supposed to become the next Pharaoh except a jealous relative attempted to kill him. He escaped with some help and became a scribe in a village, leaving his sister behind. By the time he returned, he found his sister had become power-hungry and sought to put a puppet that she could control on the throne (since women could not become Pharaohs at that time). Ramose eventually faked his death and returned to being a humble scribe, and his sister shows some sadness at his apparent death in scattering some lotus petals on the River Nile.

farewell lotus

She spread her palms towards
the flowing water
and the tears burnt
her skin.

Part of her wanted
to turn her palms
the other way…

But the lotus was already
too far gone

For her to stop, and scoop up
in manly hands
and soak with the saliva
of her acid-tongue

But she could still shed tears
for the little boy and girl
who had played
together
so long ago.