Eve Speaks Her Mind in the Garden, by Sharon Tracey

Eve in the Garden of Eden, by Henri Rousseau (France) c. 1906-10

Eve Speaks Her Mind in the Garden

Frankly, I never liked apples. The skin sticking
in my throat and the stream running dry just

when I most need a vessel of water. My body, lentic. 
My color, moss. My tribe… well, look around you.

I speak for myself. E. Ev. Eve. Everything. Everywhere.
Evening comes. I leave quiet. Shut the invisible gate 

behind me. How does one remember a life?
I float light as an epiphyte, one you might see

above you in a green canopy. Know I feel my days 
are never over. Know I do not fear the serpent, 

nor will I repent for what I’ve done. The truth is 
this one Earth. Since its spinning and that first garden 

I’ve worked behind the scenes, collecting seeds 
to sow wherever tiny Edens bloom. Come find me.

Sharon Tracey

Sharon Tracey is a writer and author of three poetry collections--Land Marks (Shanti Arts 2022), Chroma: Five Centuries of Women Artists (Shanti Arts), and What I Remember Most is Everything. Her poems have appeared in SWWIM, Canary, Terrain.org, Radar Poetry and elsewhere. Find some of her work online at sharontracey.com.