Temptation

Adam and Eve (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Temptation
An Acrostic

(Eve)

Try not to think of how you’ll feel tomorrow,
Even God can’t know the wonder of this fruit.

(Adam)

My dear, don’t you remember words of warning?

(Eve)

Perhaps God’s trying to keep us from the truth.
Take this; come on. Just try a morsel.
A snake told me that we would be just fine.
The Tree of Life has nothing like this apple.
Indeed, it offers neither food nor wine.

(Adam)

Only a tiny bite, only this one time.
No one will ever know. HEY, this one’s mine!

An old one, linked now to dVerse Poetics where Mary tempts us to write about, what else, temptation. Crawl on over and see if you can resist!

Temptation–Gooseberry Garden

Image via Wikipedia

Temptation
An Acrostic

(Eve)

Try not to think of how you’ll feel tomorrow,
E’en God can’t know the wonder of this fruit.

(Adam)

My dear, don’t you remember words of warning?

(Eve)

Perhaps God’s trying to keep us from the truth.
Take this; come on. Just try a morsel.
A snake told me that we would be just fine.
The Tree of Life has nothing like this apple.
Indeed, it offers neither food nor wine.

(Adam)

Only a tiny bite, only this one time.
No one will ever know. HEY, this one’s mine!

The story of Adam and Eve expresses many truths that dog our human nature, not the least of which is our relationship with temptation. From my own experience, I find it so easy to rationalize choices that are not consistent with my higher good or the good of others. Given a bit a distance, however, when I can see the results of my decisions with clarity, I’m confronted with the reality of my egoism. Selfishness is at the heart of our problems. My definition of “original sin” is egoism. This is what impairs the perfection of creation.

Shared with Gooseberry Garden,hosted by the talented Sashi, where the prompt for this week is Adam and Eve. http://gooseberrygoespoetic.blogspot.com/

thirteen ways of looking at a desert

Photo: Rosa Frei

Linked to One Stop Poetry: http://onestoppoetry.com/

thirteen ways of looking at a desert

i
sometimes something
we judge to be barren
throbs with life

ii
wind scatters sand
like gossips spread destruction

iii
if you go to the desert
you will see the stars
perhaps one of them
holds your life purpose
then you are no longer
afraid of the viper’s kiss

iv
the power of thirst
consumes all other desires

v
shifting sands
are like people
who vacillate
you don’t know
where you stand

vi
the desert is a canvas
open to splashes
of vibrant color

vii
the desert is
a state of mind
are you alone
or lonely

viii
the desert is
a place of temptation
there the devil tempted
jesus
   bread
   greed
   power
nothing has changed

ix
if you try
to leave your mark
upon the desert
nature will erase it
   wind
   earthquake
   war
we don’t really matter

x
the hotter it gets
the fewer people hang around

xi
many people
do not understand
the beauty of the desert
or of wrinkled faces

xii
at some point
you will visit a desert
and discover
what it is to be arid

xiii
when the desert blooms
you will find grace

Based on a form of Wallace Stevens: “Ways of Looking at…”