Trial of Eve

Lost in that faceless crowd, I watched as she stood accused.

With head high, lips locked, breasts bare and eyes true

She looked up high to her condemners.

In that moment i thought i could still see

The careful caress of Davinci’s strokes upon her cheek.

The crowd hummed with whispers

The sermon started.

She knows what she does crooned the court,

Beards dyed white, peppered with pretense.

She knew the mass whispered back.

Look at how she dresses jeered the jury,

Their voices feigned disgust as their eyes ate of her flesh.

She knew, echoed the flock.

She’s a traitor, bayed the beast

His forked tongue flicked in fury.

She knew, growled the mob, hungry.

Their once quiet hymns were carefully stoked to flame,

Licking at her flesh they hungered

To consume her in their baptism of blame.

The beast rose with dark eagle wings on that black smoke.

Clutched carefully in tight talons, a golden spear.

With the confidence of man, from dark clouds

The snake wreathed lightning struck her heart,

Pinning her like a bug to her pedestal.

The crowd waited with baited breath for her cries,

But none came.

Her alabaster skin marbled with her dark veins

Made her look as though the Greek masters themselves crafted her.

Her breath frozen forever in her stone lungs.

But In that cold silence I caught her obsidian gaze.

Light flickered there yet

Her jeweled eyes, tempered by a fire that remained.

I felt the flame brand me,

I knew then.

For years i lived in shivering anticipation,

Surely my trial was close at hand.

Could I stand as true as she did?

But in my inaudible fear I saw her.

In the school where i nestled myself in the embrace of knowledge,

The beast accused me of distracting him

With the blossoming of my body.

She guarded me with the arms of a mother,

held me close and stared into my eyes.

She passed me the eternal flame and I felt calm

We knew.

In the window of a restaurant.

A young waitress scurried about

Quickly serving food to the beast, hoping its hunger would be sated.

Its hand brushed her lower thigh.

Her eyes were quick,

And in their desperate search she found mine.

In that moment I passed an eternal flame.

Assured in careful calmness she broke my gaze.

We knew.

Once more i saw her face

A prostitute, eyes hungry for her next meal,

She surveyed her concrete savannah.

On her pelt she bore the beast's wounds

From having played prey for him.

She caught my eye once more

In that silence she passed me a softness 

that only a woman

Would know.

Bearers of her mark,

Children of Eve,

First to consume the apple.

Wear her knowledge like armor,

Bear it proudly on your chest.

Carry her light in your eyes, burn the beast with it,

And then freeze him with silent lips.

Our only inheritance.

We bear the ruins of Eden

On shoulders strong enough to not show their burden.

For if it is the beast's nature to destroy without exception.

Then it is our nature to know without words.