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The Fall of Paradise

(after John Milton)

I. Lucifer

Thus he rebelled without anyone stopping him,
wanted to put up his throne above, at times
equal to that of the almighty Creator
and approached others for this goal,
felt at times that his jealousy was noble
where he stood at the edge of the precipice
and thunder flashed ominous around him.

He dragged a third of once holy ones along
to all at once squander their lives,
joy, virtue and nobility
and along with them
later missed the glory, peace and love
of the heavens and knew
that he (the flaming son of the morning)
is trivial to the Most High (who is always honourable)
could not even stand in His shade
and through stars, he had torn, through the heavens
to declare war, as in his heart he wanted to win
as if insanity was eating
through every reason and sensibility
and had destroyed his nobility.

When he stood alone in front of Michael and thunderbolts,
suns and comets was thrown at him
at supreme command, he new pain and misery
was banned from heaven, with all of his rebellious team
was crackled down in flames
and in his heart he had to admit that it was just,
that he could not give life to anything
and could not comprehend or have love anymore;
as might, his splendour,
his own power had overwhelm him
and then he could still fall on his knees and beg for mercy

but he was far too proud for it
and he wanted to take revenge on the Almighty One
where he cunningly deceived man
and got some more victims for his own punishment
but for man God himself came to pay the price,
Lucifer was convinced that death on the cross
was the end of God, as God had become man,
in his heart Lucifer thought that he had won
and when God rose staying available for man
Lucifer could still not comprehend or explain love
or what it is to as God have the power to life.

II. After that initial awakening

After that initial awakening
Adam realised that every animal had a mate
and in him there was a longing
for a companion, for someone beautiful to love

and with infinite care God knew about his thoughts,
made him sleep and formed a woman from his flesh,
constructed a delightful charming being,
someone to match the longing of his soul.

Radiating purity and innocence
they stared awe struck
for long moment after long moment
when at first they became aware of each other.

God Himself bonded them in connubial love,
told them to multiply, to engage with each other
in the act of utter joy and there was sheer magic
and tenderness while in each other’s arms they did rest

Such sweet happiness, sprung from love
physical, spiritual and for God divine
and was in the tender care
with which they ruled the world.

They made sheer intimate passionate love,
without realising their nakedness
found beauty, love and tranquillity
in ever movement, in every tender gesture

and it was if there was magic to everything,
as if in each insect, animal, plant and tree
they found something inspiring
while they lived with freedom of choice.

III. Glorious did that snake appear

Glorious did that snake appear,
with its scales glittering in the sun,
in a place of perfection
its charm, its voice did stun.

Its deception mixed truth and lie,
enticed the woman Eve,
to reach for more knowledge,
to reach for godliness.

To her the love
of her husband Adam was secure
and in perfection, in sheer innocence
she looked at that snake with an own radiance.

The longer they talked the more she longed,
not for the fruit of life, for immortality,
but to enter into the unknown
and by disobedience the fall of man did begin.

The taste was sweet but mortality was in it,
it made both Adam and Eve aware
of their sheer nakedness,
brought destruction to a world without strive,

but still the two humans instinctively knew
that in all of this, in the sin that they entered in
God had a plan for the salvation of man,
a plan that was unspoken but existed as a token of love.

IV. How will I now see the face of God or of His angels?

(Adam after the fall of man)

How will I now see the face
of God or any of His angels?
Will it be with sheer joy,
in a blaze of clear light?

Or will I forever be afraid,
be scared of wrath, of judgement of the brightness
that reveals the darkness of my heart,
that reveals the darkness of my passions?

In this glade where I am hiding,
where leaves are covering
my beloved Eve and me,
I long for some tranquillity

but my own iniquity, our sin
is darkening everything
and there’s shame,
so much of it

that I do not know
how to face God the righteous One,
or even one of his angel messengers
and I am longing to be forever hidden.

V. There was some tranquillity in His voice

(Adam after the fall of man)

There was some tranquillity in His voice
while He called us to appear,
to where He was wandering in the garden
but in nakedness we were hiding.

His piercing brightness made the darkness
where we were hiding day,
and He had seen us sin,
had seen us changing the way that things were

to devastation, to pain and suffering
and He told us about the earth being cursed,
to bring forth thorns and thistles,
about the struggle to earn a living,

about death that at a time will be approaching,
will be approaching everything that lives
and He made clothes of skin,
to cover our nakedness

told about the time when He would come,
to crush the head of the snake,
to die for our sins like the lamb
that He had slaughtered for us.

We knew that the punishment for sin was death,
that all things living would change,
with lions, leopards, wolfs
preying on gazelles, on antelope.

It was clear that His words were true,
that He truly loved us
even though we had fallen to sin
and His eyes were full of pain

when He looked at us
and we did not really realize
the destruction, the pain and the hardship
that we had brought about

not until much later, when our son Cain
killed his brother Able
but we cuddled together
when He left us and loved each other.

As I knew that day by day
our bodies was weakening,
saw the strain, the sorrow
on my darling, Eve’s, face

while I held her while she was crying
another plan to reverse things
suddenly came to mind
and I wanted to get fruit from the tree of life

but He knew all things
and before I could even reach that tree
He banished us from the garden of Eden,
driving us out into the wilderness

and I struggled to understand this
while mighty brilliant cherubim ready for battle
was patrolling at the entrance to Eden,
with drawn flaming swords.

[References: The Holy Bible, “Paradise Lost” by John Milton.]

poem by Gert Strydom
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