Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Dear God, This Is Adam

© Laura Herman 2002

Dear God,
This is Adam.
Have you noticed us lately, six billion strong?
O God, hear your Adam.
We've been toiling, and toiling, and it's coming along.
You told us to fill all the earth, and subdue it.
When you gave that command, did you think we'd pursue it?
Did you ever imagine that we just might do it?
Are you proud of us now?
O God, are you proud of us now?

Dear God,
This is Adam.
Well, it's one of the voices that fill Adam's head.
O God, hear your Adam.
Can you hear this small voice, with so much being said?
We've got most of the planet pressed into service,
As donkeys with burdens of fuel for the worship
Ascend to the altar, not knowing the purpose.
Are you sure of us now?
O God, are you sure of us now?

O, Dear God,
This is Adam.
Well, a small part of Adam that keeps looking back.
O God, hear your Adam.
Are we fit for your kingdom, trailing the pack?
But God, look at your biosphere, stretched on the altar,
All the wonder of life, the hope of the future,
Lying quiet like Isaac, bound by his father.
Are you watching us now?
O, Dear God, are you watching us now?

Where is the ram?
Our knife is falling!
Surely, God, surely
there is a ram?

4 comments:

Paul said...

This both comforts and upsets me. Thank you!

arcolaura said...

I hesitated to post it, since I am so hungry for hope and comfort myself. From the gut, it is. I know it may offend some, but the state of this world offends some, too!

How can we be sure we know what is pleasing to God?

Tim Hodgens said...

Laura: I wonder what Eve would say?

Tim

arcolaura said...

Oooh! Snicker. But... I'm afraid Eve has been quite complicit.

But now that you mention it, I wonder why I used Adam?! I don't remember any hesitation when I wrote it; Adam was humanity.

Interesting - perhaps the speaker actually is Eve, having given up her own identity so completely that she calls herself by her husband's name?