Evil

from Epistles to Eve

When you thrust your hand into the green leaves
For knowledge, to see, to taste, to be divine,
You trusted his promise, his hissing lies, dear Eve,
The great deceiver bidding you to dine,
To bite into fragrant, forbidden food.
As you armed yourself for sin, a luscious meal,
He called good evil and pure evil good.
Did the serpent snapping at your heels
Laugh when the fruit began crawling with worms?
Sin’s dark shadows deepen, we behold,
Surging around us in a crown of germs
Illusions writhing inside the apple’s gold.
Evils swarming out of a broken trust,
Beggared of goods, wanton with Eden’s dust.