At Creation (Couplets) Poem by Gert Strydom

"only God knows
and He isn't perched on any tree" - Christy Brown

(in answer to Gail Dendy)

He spoke with omnipotent power,
created everything even each fragile flower

but created man and with careful care,
in him did His image share

as a existing perfect living thing
and around him the birds did sing,

the female form came from man himself
was beautiful, charming and fragile like an elf,

of all things created the living soul, the man was the best,
and overjoyed on the Sabbath God did rest,

on Adam and Eve God did His love bestow
and truly they did the Lord God know,

daily they spoke to God to His very face,
did live and work and have fun in the most idyllic place

and much later from Adam Eve did wander away,
all around her all of lovely nature did play,

she found a snake perched prettily in the branches of a tree,
did not know that she did the most vile of all beings see

but very subtle and slyly Satan brought man to a test
and of the sin-fall all living humans do know the rest,

about a world full of pain, hardship and death
as man does draw every live-giving breathe

but for full recompense God was crucified on a tree,
to offer life and to safe you and me.

[References:"Lucy" by Christy Brown."The Apprentice" by Gail Dendy that was published in her volume of poetry: "Closer Than That, " Dye Hard Press, Sandton,2011.

Poet's note:I am quoting "The Apprentice" by Gail Dendy here:

"I moistened the clod of earth
with my bare hands
and felt how it slopped and slithered"

"as I fashioned a figure
almost complete, but still reliant
on something else: "

"the right temperature,
a jolt of energy,
the perfect heartbeat."

"Then with the breath from my nostrils
I made a howling wind, and I
tipped the sun so close"

"to the pine trees
that they all exploded.
Not a good start, I admit."

"But this was the prelude
to the Sabbath, so I broke off
a branch from that living thing"

"and called it ‘a rib',
and the clod and the rib
were two, and separate, "

"and they were naked
and somewhat embarrassed.
I should've known better, "

"no sooner had I turned my back
then they were up to their tricks
and the Boss"

"was walking in the garden
at the breezy time of day
and I was needing to hide."

"I crept to the centre of the garden
and pretended for all the world
to be a tree."

"Ok, this was a sham,
a silly kid's trick,
but I had nothing to lose."

"And you know, after years
of standing there
I was regarded as wise"

"and full of knowledge.
Perhaps the Boss didn't notice
because he went and started"

"all over again and somehow
I was able to blend in.I don't
need to tell you what happened next."

"A bloody disaster.
Since then I've tried to say sorry
I did.I really, really did."]

© Gert Strydom