Come
sit beside me and I’ll tell you
how it really began How God said
the tree was good and meant it was good
How Adam was born a big man-baby the first
days breast-feeding from God’s mango tit
juice dripping down his chin down
his neck past his toes
into earth
Come to my side
I will plait your hair tell you how
God pulled me from her splaying side
birthed me breaching and bucking into
the world screaming Her hip still tenders
at the thought of how I began strong even
in a garden with no rain an Eden with no
harvest or hardwork no tilling ground
no ploughshares rained
and rusting
Back then I sighted seeds
wanted a watermelon to grow
in my stomach to conceive
birth and death and moon fruits
flaunting from trees as heavy milky breasts
bending boughs child ripping skin
splitting legs pain strong through
my side like God’s heavy hand
on my forehead Adam’s
on my thigh
And I desired dark
to take the earth in my teeth
and nibble nightskin It tasted like sun
like thighs like Adam’s earlobe dangling on high
above my ready tongue salt sea surging
inside the brine deep and climbing
So when God said drink I knew
she meant commune She meant
let it dance on your tongue
like stars like moon-sky My daughters
I was on the cusp of the world falling eyes
flinging body into air into sun tide moon swaying
summer hips slicing center swimming river I was
morning I was evening I was the first day
breaking mountain into valley carving
canyon womb soft-skinned summer
peaches paring apples
sweating wedges
Sidle up to me Today I rose
before you before let there be light
I’ve grown round with apple skins
and cider all the time splicing sidewinder
into woman into walking dreaming baby of breasts
and one extra rib So this seventh day when God
is at rest I sheath myself in Eden’s fallow
fields ready to birth a second earth
to offer you this breath this life
this splitting supple side