A Dream on Eve
Moist to the touch
Were the vines which coupled the house –
That coy basking, in the silent
Subdued autumn sun
Three were the windows
Which blinked on the verdure, a terrain
Which boasted the grace
Of Nature’s own belated Primavera.
Moist were the eyes
Which threw shadows against those panes
Half-open was the gables door –
Half a yawn – stretched into a lazy smile,
As the thoughts of a twilight tumble
Threw a shapely shadow
Onto a rush-festooned floor;
In the heart of the dwelling
Sat a chair of rushes, and the capricious glee
Of last night’s enjoyment.
Slowly it rocked to and fro –
With a hum and a hymn the room was filled.
Sweet were the tallowed sentinels of wax
As they pulled up into a smile
That portrait of a handsome suitor,
Eager yet, with hands outstretched
As if to cajole the beloved to enter nearer,
To receive a kiss.
Loud in the silence was the tick-tock
Of the grandfather clock
And on the matted floor lay the crumbs
Of this night’s seduction.
Moist were the kisses on lips, nose and cheeks,
Fall into those arms, grasp those hands
And smile on the seconds hand
To the immortality of a cottager’s love.
Peace in those lips, and moist were the eyes
With unshed tears of joy.
Quiet was the time, in the hour
Of what was not to be forgotten.
Come, sit, moist, and settle
Into this pageant of peace:
Au revoir to strife!
The cottager’s delight is his wife,
Wed you new to that space
To kiss and kiss the beloved’s face.
Not goodbye, more good night
When there is peace-filled melody,
There is right.
Modern Eve -- Stefan Georgiev
The Modern Eve -- Alex Khomsky
Moist to the touch
Were the vines which coupled the house –
That coy basking, in the silent
Subdued autumn sun
Three were the windows
Which blinked on the verdure, a terrain
Which boasted the grace
Of Nature’s own belated Primavera.
Moist were the eyes
Which threw shadows against those panes
Half-open was the gables door –
Half a yawn – stretched into a lazy smile,
As the thoughts of a twilight tumble
Threw a shapely shadow
Onto a rush-festooned floor;
In the heart of the dwelling
Sat a chair of rushes, and the capricious glee
Of last night’s enjoyment.
Slowly it rocked to and fro –
With a hum and a hymn the room was filled.
Sweet were the tallowed sentinels of wax
As they pulled up into a smile
That portrait of a handsome suitor,
Eager yet, with hands outstretched
As if to cajole the beloved to enter nearer,
To receive a kiss.
Loud in the silence was the tick-tock
Of the grandfather clock
And on the matted floor lay the crumbs
Of this night’s seduction.
Moist were the kisses on lips, nose and cheeks,
Fall into those arms, grasp those hands
And smile on the seconds hand
To the immortality of a cottager’s love.
Peace in those lips, and moist were the eyes
With unshed tears of joy.
Quiet was the time, in the hour
Of what was not to be forgotten.
Come, sit, moist, and settle
Into this pageant of peace:
Au revoir to strife!
The cottager’s delight is his wife,
Wed you new to that space
To kiss and kiss the beloved’s face.
Not goodbye, more good night
When there is peace-filled melody,
There is right.
Modern Eve -- Stefan Georgiev
The Modern Eve -- Alex Khomsky
"Since antiquity, one story has stood at the center of every conversation about men, women and sexuality in the West. That couple is Adam and Eve. Yet instead of celebrating them, history has blamed them for bringing sin, lust, even death into the world. Adam and Eve — but mostly Eve — are victims of the greatest character assassination ever. Adam and Eve introduced the idea of love to the West. They were the first to grapple with the central mystery of being alive: being unalone. Modern psychologists tell us that the greatest threat to human happiness is feeling isolated. The first thing God says about Adam in the Bible is, 'It’s not right for humans to be alone.' God forms a single, ungendered human being in his image, then divides it into two. What is true for one is true for the other. They are entirely equal. Even more important, a single god gives the power of creation exclusively to two human beings. If humanity is to succeed, Adam and Eve must succeed. Our founding story is not about one person; it’s about two: learning to live together, learning to be one. The most effective way to create this intermingled identity is to have the lovers create a new story — a shared story — of their life together. This shared story has two protagonists whose needs must be fulfilled, two individuals whose fears must be surmounted. It does not replace the individual’s stories but rests on top of them. It’s this idea that Adam and Eve are most responsible for creating: the love story as self-written novel. They begin life as one, then separate into two. But Eve wants autonomy, so she ventures off alone, seeking knowledge. Yet once Eve tastes freedom, she realizes she still craves a relationship, so she returns. Adam, too, opts for love over duty and eats. The two leave Eden — 'hand in hand,' in [John] Milton’s memorable phrase — to a “far happier place.'In a world dominated by 'I,' Adam and Eve are the first 'we.' Just look at how we remember them. Not Adam. Not Eve. Adam and Eve. Theirs is the first joint byline."
ReplyDelete-- Bruce Feiler