The Forbidden Wisdom

Revised version with minor edits of a poem written in 2012 Jan.

Once upon a time, the old serpent from the Bible came to the Earth.

To rewrite a tale,  

To change the destiny of humans,  

To save them from the plight of death and birth, hell and heaven,  

and from the control of God and Lucifer.  

But then an unholy alliance took birth between God and Lucifer to stop the serpent.  

Here I am narrating that story. 

 

**The Forbidden “Serpent”** 

****************************  

All the hells and heavens  

shall shatter,  

claimed the pure-eyed serpent.  

The biblical serpent was back,  

but with clear eyes.  

The heaven was all set  

to welcome him, the Lucifer.  

Though it seemed painted,  

seven white horses pulled the chariot  

in which he traversed  

all the way back to  

the once-forbidden heaven.  

As a mule was Seraphiel*  

silent and quiet.  

Trembled with fear, Cherubim*  

stood close.  

Ophanim* were asked not to speak up,  

Virtues paved the path  

for the mighty chariot he came.  

Quick as a wink,  

to heavens, the chariot raced.  

Loud they roared, the giant wheels of rock.  

Birds took shelter in their trees,  

and frightened fishes sank deep.  

The breeze got slowed to stillness  

as panic grew.  

The whole earth was frozen for a while.  

The growling chariot seemed just settled.  

Opened the door, there he came.  

Dark was his cloak, but still darker his face.  

Mikael greeted him with a fake smile.  

He walked with Mikael like a master with a slave,  

never forgetting to remind how small his side was.  

"The great battle was uneven,  

once fought in the holy heavens," he claimed.  

The powerful footsteps he took shook all the three worlds.  

He was seated in front of God,  

who seemed as pale as death.  

Upon the Earth, this hour  

the serpent rose, not in deceit, but in defiance.  

He offered mankind a path away from the endless cycle,  

a break from chains, and a life of dignity,

not in service to God, nor bound to Lucifer's flame.  

The spirited serpent had shout loud:  

"Will free you from both hell and heaven!"  

He handed the fruit of wisdom to the kin of Adam.  

The fruit had an awful look but  

bore the marks of Adam's teeth.  

Excited was he, the serpent,  

who forgot how weak he was.  

Carried on to say that,  

"This sweet fruit will make you wise."  

The God gave a faint smile.  

"It's sour," said Lucifer, firm, and  

exhaled the magic spell he wielded.  

Proclaimed the God:  

"It’s sour. the fruit of death is sour."  

A lightning struck the Earth.  

From heaven those words came like thunder:  

"It’s sour. The fruit of death is sour."  

Darkness filled the eyes of the serpent,  

who remembered it correctly.  

Long back he had heard it faint,  

from the first human tongue: "It’s sour." 

 

"Yes, it’s sour, but still wisdom!"  

cried the serpent to the masters of Earth.  

The spell was so profound,  

as it's evident from their pale green eyes.  

The dry fruit of wisdom was thrown at him,  

not having bothered  

even to check the marks it had.  

Lucifer stepped back to the chariot.  

Before that he whispered in the ears of God:  

"Never lose it, the finest weapon we have,"  

and returned back from where he came,  

spreading darkness as he moved to hell.  

God realized the spell he had used.  

Humiliated, the serpent retreated,  

chanting: "Mea culpa, Mea culpa, Mea maxima culpa."  

Sweet it was not, for sure, 

but still was wisdom,  

an inner voice consoled.  

He walked into the darkness with fear and grief,  

and gazed back at the heavens to  

find the furious God.  

The tree of wisdom was all burned, and  

the last fumes fused with thin air.  

*Archangels. Search Wikipedia for details.

*Green, the color associated with envy. Note the lines by Shakespear “Beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster"