Fragments of Eden
 
A perpetual cycle of return to our roots,  digging in the loam of the past,
      stirring up haunting, disturbing dreams of possibilities run amok,
          genetic anomalies,
choices made and not made,  consequences of choices made and not made.
natural and unnatural selection
Beauty juxtaposed with fierceness
the fragile balance point of lushness with decay
 
Not knowing and picking from the tree of knowledge
knowing and picking from the tree of knowledge
knowing and picking from the tree of not knowing
not knowing and picking from the tree of not knowing
 
Laughing,  dancing with,  celebrating the shame of our nakedness
being  the  shamen  of  our nakedness
returning
lying down      to sleep in the dense garden we have planted, tended, harvested, neglected,
left behind      to dream strange troubled dreams of remembrance
                    communing with the wild  free primal  mirrors  of other life forms.
Embracing the serpent.
Picking the apple     breaking skin     crushing seeds with sharp edge teeth
savoring the juice of knowledge as it runs down our chin
sticky  sweet  salt  sour  bitter  life force
                drinking memories,  reeling with intoxicating  sight giving  fragrances
knowing   knowing   knowing   knowing
                yes    
                                     
                                                                   -- Erica Swadley