Today’s is a cheat-post as I had a long day and am too tired to write something new, also because I have not posted this verse here at Shail’s Nest, but most of all because of another reason. When I first wrote this (it was for a poetry week whose topic was Adam and Eve), I was rather pleased as punch for having pulled off a tongue-in-cheek and what I believed to be a creative verse that fit the theme for the week. But… the first person I showed it to was silent for a long time that I was alarmed. Was it bad?

Then I was told that too many of my posts are about gender issues. My jaw dropped to the floor. It is my belief that I do NOT write enough of them, not as much as I would like. Anyways… I made it a point to go and check, and as you can see from the tag cloud, gender issues are actually (I am ashamed to admit) a very small portion of what I write . No, I am not being apologetic, only stating facts as they stand. Not that anyone saying anything will stop me from writing more of what I feel like writing (a post on that, later). But it did feel odd when I was subtly ‘accused’. Come to think of it, we don’t have equality of the sexes yet, do we? So, my answer: As long as gender inequality exists no amount of writing about it can ever be called too much. 

And now here is the verse itself, ‘The still continuing story’ being re-posted from here.

 

Eve had succumbed to the sensuous hiss

Of the sly Serpent who had her in his grip

The desire to taste the succulent fruit

Grew stronger in her, till it was unbearably acute.

 

“Hey Adam! Let’s do it,” she suggested

“Whoa! Didn’t God tell us not to?” he countered.

“Ha! The Old Man and his diktats

He probably wants them all for Himself…!”

Adam paused, scratched his head uncertainly

“But God’s orders had been explicit” he said stubbornly

 

“What a loser!” Eve rolled her pretty eyes

“No initiative. Well, go on, do as you please.

For all I care, sit here twiddling your wee thumbs,

While I get myself something juicy and yum.”

 

Our Eve was a woman of instant action

She quickly stretched her arm for a ripe one.

When she turned, right behind was Adam,

In his eyes an unspoken request, ‘Please, Madam?’

“Alright, have a bite!” Eve was generous

Adam bit into the fruit; God, was it delicious!

 

The watching Serpent gleefully chuckled.

The tree of Knowledge was now officially hacked.

Its effects Adam and Eve had begun feeling.

From an information overload they were reeling.

 

“We are done for,” they cried in unison

“Quick, think of something to cover up our actions!”

Fig leaves were found and strategically placed

It was too poor a disguise, the lost misguided souls!

God found them pronto, fresh fig leaves and all

His displeasure made it clear; they had had a mighty fall.

 

“She made me do it,” said Adam, quick to disown

His responsibility for his actions thereby was made known.

“Can’t you share the blame, you poor sod? You make me ill.”

Eve stared in murderous rage; if only looks could kill.

 

Adam looked away, playing the innocent wronged boy

Led astray by a wily woman, oh what a ploy!

Disgusted, Eve turned to God

“Oh well, I own up, the Serpent had me in his thrall.”

Down the ages, people still blame her

It was Eve’s fault, they repeat over and over.

 

And yet…. what about Adam’s voice?

Why had he not exercised his choice?

To this day and age the sad story continues,

‘She made me do it,’ remains every man’s favorite song.

 

-Shail Mohan (Aug 2011)

©Shail Mohan 2015