Ramesses first pierced the isthmus A canted, unevening sky Efflorescent waters displaced By the severing motion Broadsides the narrowed canal’s Machinely segmented rout As if the ocean evoked quiet insults From a sidelong prow The consequences turning In bank interactions (A gull’s weightless, departing camber) Interference and reflection In clawed, crosshatched lines Progress unforgiven Inland a jackal sunrise The eternal gnomon Turned shamefacedly away