Build Our Own New Paradise
© Surazeus
2018 07 19
Tall Tree of Life sprouts from my rotting heart,
transforming voiceless sorrow of despair
into sweet fruit that congeals sun and rain
in wholesome juice that sparks my mind alive.
Dire hunger drives me through stark wilderness,
stumbling over jagged stones of despair,
and crawling through the tangled thorny vines
of horror at painful suffering of death.
Who built high wall of stones around my tree?
I claw at stones in freezing flash of rain
and for one moment as I reach the top
I see the Tree of Life shining in sunlight.
Succulent fruit dripping juice waits for me,
so I reach out my hand, but slippery stone
wet from cold rain throws me down in slick mud
where I struggle to escape sucking death.
Grasping thorny vine, I pull myself free,
then crawl on hard cracked dirt past hissing snakes
and spider webs that try to snare my soul
toward gate of gold bars to my paradise.
Kneeling before gold gate to paradise,
I reach both arms out toward the sneering guard,
the cherub with sharp flaming sword who laughs
and kicks my chest so I fall back in dust.
"I am Gabriel who guards the Gates of Eden.
You are Set who seduces and deceives.
You will never enter lush paradise
for you broke the rules my father spoke.
Your pregnant mother came to paradise
so we took her in lush Garden of Eden
where she died in pain giving birth to you,
and we raised you with generous trust of love.
My father Jehovah and I taught you
how to tend fruit trees with attentive care,
trimming branches, pulling weeds, clearing roots,
and picking ripe fruit to brew tangy cider.
Yet you betrayed the trust of kind Jehovah
when you impregnated his daughter Lilith,
so now she bears twin children of your seed,
naming the boy Adam and the girl Eve.
We cast you out of paradise, you fool,
you clever deceiver who speaks soft words
when you seduced the daughter of Jehovah
to open her heart to your pretty lies.
I threw you off the walls of paradise,
and now I guard gate to Garden of Eden,
covering cherub with wide-extending arms
to block your way from eating fruit of life."
Breathing deep pungent spirit of the Earth,
I rise to my feet and reach for the sky,
stretching my body to soak warm sunlight
till I grow strong with the strength of the stone.
Grasping brass bar that shimmers in the mud,
forged long ago from lava of the Earth,
I twirl it around and approach the gate,
crouching low and tensing for the fierce fight.
When Gabriel swings sharp sword to slice my head,
I raise brass wand to block his vicious strike,
then swinging wand low I break his left leg,
causing him to fall before the bright gate.
Dropping the sword when he falls to the ground,
Gabriel howls and throws stones up at my face
but I swing brass wand to bat them away,
so he claws at dust to grasp the sharp sword.
Raising the brass wand up high with both hands,
I hesitate when Jehovah shouts my name,
begging me to spare the life of his son,
but I remember how they cast me out.
"I love your daughter Lilith with my heart,
but you cast me out into the waste land
where I wandered lost in horror of death,
and Gabriel blocked my way to paradise.
I will spare his life and not crush his skull
if you allow Lilith to leave your garden
and come live with me on the river shore
where I will build new paradise of stone."
Lilith appears at gold bars of the gate,
bearing large basket of apples in hand,
and, though Jehovah tries to hold her back,
she pushes past him through the gate of Eden.
Sweet Lilith gazes in my blazing eyes
and begs me not to kill her little brother,
then gently pushes down my trembling arms,
so I lower the wand and turn away.
Gripping the brass wand of my new success,
I walk with Lilith away from lush Eden,
as Jehovah pulls Gabriel inside the gate,
and we walk down to the broad river shore.
Slowly limping on legs sore from the fight,
I gaze at the sky shimmering blue with love,
then gaze at Lilith who smiles at my side
as she bears basket of apples in hand.
Standing on the ridge above the broad river,
I point to the wall of stones I construct,
half-built with stones I carved from ancient hope,
and four round towers along perimeter.
Walking through the arch where no gate yet shines,
we sit by the hearth where the warm fire glows,
and hold each other in the evening glow,
kissing and weeping with new surprised joy.
Holding my face with both hands, Lilith smiles.
"We lived together in lush paradise,
but now we are exiled from our safe home,
and wander lost in wilderness of fear.
Here we will build our own new paradise,
and tend new grove of apple trees that bloom
nutritious fruit that congeals sun and rain,
and sing with love to heal the aching pain."
© Surazeus
2018 07 19
Tall Tree of Life sprouts from my rotting heart,
transforming voiceless sorrow of despair
into sweet fruit that congeals sun and rain
in wholesome juice that sparks my mind alive.
Dire hunger drives me through stark wilderness,
stumbling over jagged stones of despair,
and crawling through the tangled thorny vines
of horror at painful suffering of death.
Who built high wall of stones around my tree?
I claw at stones in freezing flash of rain
and for one moment as I reach the top
I see the Tree of Life shining in sunlight.
Succulent fruit dripping juice waits for me,
so I reach out my hand, but slippery stone
wet from cold rain throws me down in slick mud
where I struggle to escape sucking death.
Grasping thorny vine, I pull myself free,
then crawl on hard cracked dirt past hissing snakes
and spider webs that try to snare my soul
toward gate of gold bars to my paradise.
Kneeling before gold gate to paradise,
I reach both arms out toward the sneering guard,
the cherub with sharp flaming sword who laughs
and kicks my chest so I fall back in dust.
"I am Gabriel who guards the Gates of Eden.
You are Set who seduces and deceives.
You will never enter lush paradise
for you broke the rules my father spoke.
Your pregnant mother came to paradise
so we took her in lush Garden of Eden
where she died in pain giving birth to you,
and we raised you with generous trust of love.
My father Jehovah and I taught you
how to tend fruit trees with attentive care,
trimming branches, pulling weeds, clearing roots,
and picking ripe fruit to brew tangy cider.
Yet you betrayed the trust of kind Jehovah
when you impregnated his daughter Lilith,
so now she bears twin children of your seed,
naming the boy Adam and the girl Eve.
We cast you out of paradise, you fool,
you clever deceiver who speaks soft words
when you seduced the daughter of Jehovah
to open her heart to your pretty lies.
I threw you off the walls of paradise,
and now I guard gate to Garden of Eden,
covering cherub with wide-extending arms
to block your way from eating fruit of life."
Breathing deep pungent spirit of the Earth,
I rise to my feet and reach for the sky,
stretching my body to soak warm sunlight
till I grow strong with the strength of the stone.
Grasping brass bar that shimmers in the mud,
forged long ago from lava of the Earth,
I twirl it around and approach the gate,
crouching low and tensing for the fierce fight.
When Gabriel swings sharp sword to slice my head,
I raise brass wand to block his vicious strike,
then swinging wand low I break his left leg,
causing him to fall before the bright gate.
Dropping the sword when he falls to the ground,
Gabriel howls and throws stones up at my face
but I swing brass wand to bat them away,
so he claws at dust to grasp the sharp sword.
Raising the brass wand up high with both hands,
I hesitate when Jehovah shouts my name,
begging me to spare the life of his son,
but I remember how they cast me out.
"I love your daughter Lilith with my heart,
but you cast me out into the waste land
where I wandered lost in horror of death,
and Gabriel blocked my way to paradise.
I will spare his life and not crush his skull
if you allow Lilith to leave your garden
and come live with me on the river shore
where I will build new paradise of stone."
Lilith appears at gold bars of the gate,
bearing large basket of apples in hand,
and, though Jehovah tries to hold her back,
she pushes past him through the gate of Eden.
Sweet Lilith gazes in my blazing eyes
and begs me not to kill her little brother,
then gently pushes down my trembling arms,
so I lower the wand and turn away.
Gripping the brass wand of my new success,
I walk with Lilith away from lush Eden,
as Jehovah pulls Gabriel inside the gate,
and we walk down to the broad river shore.
Slowly limping on legs sore from the fight,
I gaze at the sky shimmering blue with love,
then gaze at Lilith who smiles at my side
as she bears basket of apples in hand.
Standing on the ridge above the broad river,
I point to the wall of stones I construct,
half-built with stones I carved from ancient hope,
and four round towers along perimeter.
Walking through the arch where no gate yet shines,
we sit by the hearth where the warm fire glows,
and hold each other in the evening glow,
kissing and weeping with new surprised joy.
Holding my face with both hands, Lilith smiles.
"We lived together in lush paradise,
but now we are exiled from our safe home,
and wander lost in wilderness of fear.
Here we will build our own new paradise,
and tend new grove of apple trees that bloom
nutritious fruit that congeals sun and rain,
and sing with love to heal the aching pain."
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