Downstream from where the girls come to bathe
I lift rocks to stir the janga,
casting my net and a hopeful eye
toward the pool where she stands, like Eve,
glistening in sunlight and water.
We have danced this dance of coincidence before.
*
As if she weren’t perfection and purity,
she makes a pageant of washing her figure; firm,
rivaled only by the salute of my flesh,
hard, blue; like the mahoe tree.
I am Adam and her presence beckons.
Together we could populate the earth.
*
My catch is small; my desire on a grander scale.
Hefting my pail and net, I wade to the shore
as she does, on a trajectory towards life.
We’ve danced this dance before, but only as prelude.
Today, the taste of creation permeates the air.
Our eyes touch and Eden is born on the riverbank.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Author's Note: This poem was first published in 2009 in the journal, tongues of the ocean (Bahamas).]
About the Creator
Randy Baker
Poet, author, essayist.
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Travel Snaps Challenge Winners
Travel changes us — if we let its lessons in. It’s possible to wander the world, even to take pictures, with our eyes as good as closed, never opening to the new self that a new place might make of us. So many of the entries to our Travel Snaps challenge were by creators who really wanted to look at the world, and themselves, anew. They were all inspiring to read — and to see, because photography was an important part of this competition. To us, the ‘quality’ of the photographs wasn’t the point; it was that these images were yours. It was a reminder of how much more that can mean — certainly when it comes to personal essays — than widely available or AI images. We really loved seeing these snaps.
By Vocal Curation Team4 days ago in Resources
Comments (2)
This is quite good. Well done, Randy.
Brilliant work, Randy.