CASUS NOSTER [IX]

CASUS TUUS

The bite boomed

throughout the entire Garden;

I would have leapt back

from the shock, had it not been

for the sweet delectable taste

in my (now aching) mouth.

You startled awake upon hearing the flesh rip

from inside my teeth.

Your head jolted up

and your body flipped over

letting the stiff grass pierce the still-moist skin

on your back;

your face agape and your mouth

wide in fear;

your eyes began to water

(something still strange to me)

and your eyebrows curved in –

I had only seen them do as such

when you were on top of me.

Your eyes jolted over to the Serpent,

still next to me;

I looked over and saw him

grinning.

“Beast!” you cried,

“I am to command you

and Adoshem is to command me;

thus any command given by God

is of all in this Garden!

No one is to eat of the Fruit,

Man or Beast!

Adoshem will banish you

from this place!”

The Serpent crept up to you,

seemingly floating,

until his face was almost against yours,

and he stuck out his tongue;

in his sly squirming he moved away,

never taking his eyes off of

you and I.

He moved farther and farther away,

his thing unloving lips still curled

in that maniacal grin.

You looked at me,

blankness in your stern face;

your eyes red as they gazed upon

the bitten Fruit

in my hand.

With passion in body

(not like the passion we had

the night before) you swatted

the Fruit from my hand.

It fell down to the Earth

with a THUD that boomed

throughout the Garden –

still that booming was nothing

compared to your voice

as I looked down in shame:

“What unholy thing have you done

in tasting the forbidden?

How have you, my Partner,

betrayed the trust of Adoshem –

the One who gave us this place

and commanded so little of us?

What were you in mind hoping

to do with the Fruit?

How could you let such

a diabolical

insignificant

beast seduce you

and tempt you to disobey

the command of Adoshem?”

I looked up to you,

into your raging eyes

which were gleaming red

like the Fruit’s tender sweet flesh

and I finally put my hand

upon your sticky smooth

face.

“Adam, do you love me?”

You looked at me;

startled, confused,

unsure of how to take

my (now) simple question.

“What do you speak of?”

You reached up with your

rough firm hand

and tore mine from your face;

your eyes widened

and your lips firmed up

in questioning.

“When my lips

tore the flesh from that Fruit,

I knew that I loved you.”

You grabbed my face

and shook my lightly –

your hands were stiff.

“What is this that you speak of?”

Your voice was now aching to know;

all signs of rage had passed.

I sat down, my bare body now somewhat covered

by the grass below –

strangely it felt right –

and pulled you down with me;

my face beaming as I grabbed you.

“You must know this feeling:

I wish to be with you

forever.”

You plopped down on the grass

with me, your face now

somewhat calm.

“We would have been together

forever,

had you not doomed yourself with

such disobedience.”

“But the confines of this Garden

are nothing to me now;

I want to be with you

regardless as to whether our bodies

lie in these gates –

I wish only to be with you

in this feeling –

this love.”

You looked at me

and then at the Fruit,

still on the ground,

then you looked over to the Gates

where we saw God’s winged men,

now scrambling in a panic.

“What is there outside of this Garden?”

I picked up the Fruit

from the ground

and held it out to you.

“What lies beyond

is something that I now feel

inside.

What is inside this body

and soul

is much more splendid

than what is inside this Garden.”

You slowly reached out,

your fingers curving over

the bitten Fruit

until you lifted it

and looked at me again.

“What is it like?”

“Like knowing what is right.”

You put the Fruit

up to your mouth

and slowly yet fiercely

took a sweet

supple

daring

bite.