Leaving Eden

The Fall of Man

 

 

Leaving Eden

 

 

And we had eaten of the forbidden fruit

and it displeased Him

and He came searching for us in his mocking, terrifying way

calling, ‘Where art thou?  Where art thou?’

and we could not escape

and his wrath was lightning in our eyes

and his wrath was thunder fallen down upon us

and his wrath split us apart from that existence we had been dreaming

and we could not escape.

 

Afterward I became aware

of the coolness of the breeze

her strange sobs, the way she tore and clutched at herself as if trying to extract

what cannot be extracted, and

the wind blew colder still and we huddled together and at the same moment came to know

we were naked

and I hid my face.

 

*          *          *          

 

Our winged escort motioned, curtly, with his shining sword

toward the morning sun

and I know we must have lingered, or tried to

but really there was nothing to do but get started

and yes, it was hard not feeling a little discarded

leaving that place wherein wisdom was so closely guarded.

Reviews

[Ken e Bujold]

The best I've read of yours yet Montag, and that my friend should be read as it reads, a compliment of the highest order. I was spellbound reading this poem. Can't help but think I'm reading another soul who's sat and sipped the lessons of the crusty old Pound, which I assure you is the highest compliment I can pay any poet I read.
Ken e

[Montag]

Ken,

I'm very grateful for your positive reviews. I have read only a little Pound though I have been meaning to crack the ABC of Reading.
Thank you again.

[Ken e Bujold]

Pound is a difficult fellow. His range is incredible. He is in many ways the father of modern poetry. Yes, others were experimenting around the same time, but Ezra was the one who kicked open the doors to the bastille and set the hoards free. So many of the writers we now consider titans followed in his wake, and a good many (Elliot, Lawrence, Dolittle, Hemingway to name but a few) owe their early success to Pound's insistence they be published and noticed. Today so many dismiss his work, find it easy to get away with doing so because of his vile political positions, but the truth is, if you are serious about poetry, modern poetry, it begins at Ezra's doorstep. I would suggest ABC is a good intro, and in particular Mauberley as a great launching pad

ken e