problematic Eden
a snake emerges
from a curtain of flames
black forked tongue
hissing amidst
the crackling blaze
the immediate sense
is that this creature
is evil, the symbol of sin,
treachery incarnate,
responsible for
the fall of man, so sly
as to slither its
charming graces
by the first daughter
of god, herself —
but unbeknownst
to them,
the serpent was
just a fucked up
creation, not unlike
the rest of us,
stomped on
and hunted, tortured
and tricked into
playing the role
of the devil…
no one is born
into disgrace, no one
desires destruction when
they first set foot on this rock,
when they first set their eyes
on that glorious horizon…
the first thought of any beast
when they find themselves
lost in this problematic Eden
is that they hope
it’s what it seems to be…
but nothing is what it seems to be
— even paradise can be a curse,
the greatest blessing can become
a burden…
the heroes can hurt your feelings,
the saints can let you down,
the angels can plummet
to the earthly ground
and even the bad guys
will shed unholy tears…
the snake is suffering
in those flames, burning
in an attempt to survive —
it’s trying to shed its skin,
but instead of offering any help
all we do is choose to run
