Adam, and: Recollection

Adam

He who fell through clouds etherealmoved in time to music tuned sphere to spherehe fell through seas of universethat looked like mirrorsand when he splashedthere came starsand white egrets and dovesthat gave contrast tothe waters of the universeintense and blueand a while he floated among fishesgray whales and gold koiand yet he fell until there was distinctionbetween the water above and the water belowbetween the oceans of earth called seasand the land of grass and herbs and fruit treesstill he fell until the day was parted from the nightand winter from springand there was place for egret and doveto fly among the starsand whale to swim in coraled cavesinto an orchard fragrant with flowershe who fell to earthfell on earth upon a bed of appleblossomsand dreamed and dreamed an Eve of applesand awoke to find his fall

Recollection

Pain is cored by joy,grief with release.Again I imaginepain of birth,sorrow of death,the pricking of ice-like star pointson cold nights,the search for shelterwe must make forourselves, to find food,and me married to a brooderwho has accused me withdark looks and bitten backwords. Always I check behindto see if the angel follows …How to blend into this landscape—perhaps become shepherds,watch our flocks grow,serve up one lamb,sweetest, purest, most innocentto sacrifice. Each path we takewe make. To keep inventing lifeis hard. Perhaps I was toopampered and he too preoccupiedwith naming namesto notice when we leftpain and grief came with usas companions. Who brokethe silence I do not recall—only there, after hours ofbitter slicings at each other’shearts, streamed tears. Huddling amonganimals, we discovered ourcomfort in knowingand loving and bydawn could speakof the possibility offorgiveness. Yes, there would bea child, children. Hope was new to us,yet we hoped for an easier waythrough the child.You ask me to rememberthe before time,what we did and saidbefore we had to leavein such a hurry,but that part’s unimportantto our story. Only learn this:pain is cored by joy,grief with release.