From Garden to Briar Patch: Ode to Eve

“From Garden to Briar Patch

Ode to Eve: another perspective on original sin”

Words and Image by Toni Truesdale

Poor Adam,

Would have been blind all his life

If it hadn’t been for Eve.

She was the smart one, you see;

She thought it all out

Knowledge was the key!

She listened to the wisdom of snakes

And ate to see….

 

What kind of sin was that?

You may quite rightly ask.

For what kind of deity demands

People be stupid, mute, blind, deaf, still;

And who would want to believe in that kind of supreme authority

That says “Do not question ME!”

(Adam did, Eve had her doubts)

 

Thrown out of the garden, (That Primordial duo),

Is how the story goes,

And into the world,

Where ole Eve gives birth;

Wait, don’t women do that anyway?

What kind of curse it that?

And where would any of us be?

 

Now, all women have been blamed,

(for thinking it appears)

And called imperfect for centuries,

(for seeing it all clear)

Why? Cause we wanted knowledge!

And for this, a male ”god” wrathfully imprisoned us

Psychologically;

(said: we needed to be controlled, wanted to be dominated)

 

And Eve is still cursed for her intelligence

Original sin it is called. But, is it “god” or Men

That so fear the wits of women?

 

In reality,

Like the trickster, Brier Rabbit,

We are born into a thorny world,

For who wants to live cloistered anyway?

And would we rather be free?

To think, to question

And to SEE.

 

So when you see that image of the couple,

Standing meekly by the apple tree,

In their nudity.

Think about it.

Is that what you want to be?

 

The Great Tree of Life

Is far older than any Authority;

Is from what we all are descended,

Our Mothers, Grandmothers, Great Grandmothers, Great, Great and so on…

Mitochondrially….

 

So thank the thoughtful Eve,

She challenged “god” and won,

For the thorny bush is filled with roses,

And that beautiful garden has always been

In all glorious fecundity,

Inside us,

All Women in history.