Eden Sank To Grief Poem by Day Williams

Adam dreamed he lost a rib.
He woke up-it was no fib.
"Missing rib? Where is my bone? '
Adam asked. He felt alone.

God answered him out loud:
"You're gentle, innocent, unbowed.
You were lonely and asleep,
You had a bone, no need to keep,
I opened up and took the rib
(Which spared the trouble of a crib) .
I poured the breath of life within
And sculpted lovely skin
From that one rib, something new.
I made a wife for you
Out of your chest, out of a bone.
Your bone's your mate; you'll be alone
No more, " said God. "Woman for me, "
Adam said. "What curves I see!

"Helper-mate, " the Lord declared,
"Made when you were unaware."

Adam said, approaching there:
"In Eden God has answered prayer,

Honey-sweet, a precious dove."
The first man said, "I am in love."

"You're in charge, " God said to them:
"Eat, drink, play, or take a swim.
Do what you will, but do not eat
The tree that lets you know of evil
And of good; it's at the middle,
This garden's center: I don't kid."

"What if we want a smell, a sniff? "

"You'll regret a single whiff."

"But if I take but one bite... "

"You'll find out it isn't right.
Take one bite and you will die,
No matter what you say or try."

Eve walked out to look around
And she saw Snake on the ground.
"Wouldn't you like to be wise? "
She heard from Snake, the King of Lies.

"How? " asked Eve, who was naive.

"I"ll show you, if you believe.
There is a tree, near where you sat."

"But God said no, don't eat from that,
For l will die if I eat.
God is good and I won't cheat."

"Don't give me guff, " Snake replied.
"Others ate, and none have died."

"Shiny red, it does look fine.
I wish that fruit were all mine."

"You must think and use your heart.
God knows fruit will make you smart.
You'll need guts to take my dare."

"A bite can't hurt, " Eve said, impaired.

She took a bite. Snake disappeared.
Adam came and shed big tears.

"This fruit is good, " Eve told her mate,
But he was worried for her fate.

"God is good. He said, ‘Don't eat! '"

"But take one bite. This fruit is sweet."

Adam loved, and he was torn.
His eyes were sad, his look forlorn.
"Death will come, " he said to her.

"But how can you be so sure?
Snake told me I'd be wise- "

"That was Satan in disguise! "

"Don't you love me? I am your mate."
And Adam saw and took and ate.

"We're naked! " he remarked.
"We have to hide inside this park."

God walked amid Eden's trees:
Cool afternoon with a light breeze,

And he asked Adam, "Where are you? "

"We're scared. We're in shade, too, "
Adam said, "We need some clothes.
We were ashamed, and this we chose, "

"Ashamed? You? You must tell why.
You live with me in Paradise."

"Our eyes were opened when we ate:
Evil, good, we know man's fate."

"No, you don't, " the Lord replied.
I said, ‘Don't eat or you will die.'"

"But now at last we're wise."

"The Devil tricked you in disguise."

"Snake told me I should eat.
He told me to, and it was sweet."

"She asked me to. She is my mate, "
Adam said, "so I ate."

"You broke my rules! " the Lord God roared.
"You'll walk in Eden nevermore.
On his belly Snake will crawl,
Women giving birth will bawl,
The pain so great they'll want to die.
Snake, you are the King of Lies.
For the evil you have sprung,
Her children will all hate your young,
And all your days you will eat dust-
You won't regain my trust.
The woman's child will crush your head;
You'll bruise his heel when he has bled.
From red dust you were formed,
Adam, from red dust you were born,
And from red dust you'll earn your bread
In painful work until you're dead."

Cherubim with flaming sword
Guard Eden's east for the Lord.

With heads bent down, the banished pair,
Lonely, weeping, depart with cares.