We think papyrus was for writing on.
This was not always so. The priests wore shoes
From it in ancient Egypt. At the dawn
Of writing culture, copyists would use
Some parchment, vellum, clay, and stone. Some sails
And cabling for bridges also came
From stripped papyrus—and so human trails,
Both mental and the physical, lay claim
To its importance in the history of
Our kind. If Xerxes needed it to build
His transport scheme, we needed it for love
And hate, for who loved whom, and why one killed
Another, and exactly what we need
To deal with our devotions and our greed.