Catching Up

Parsha Bereishit

In the beginning
Doesn't everything start
that way, an empty canvas
God takes out a blueprint,
sets the world in motion
with words--let there be-
day and night
a moon, a sun
streams and rivers
ponds and oceans
ferocious animals
burrowing animals
annoying gnats
flying insects, even asps
and places us in that
Garden of Delight
gives us the run of the place
God asks us one thing,
stay away from one tree
Then things go awry
There's a wily character
who cajoles Eve to taste
the fruit of the forbidden tree
And Eve then offers
her man Adam a bite
Every thing goes off track
They grab fig leaves
God sighs and asks for
an accounting. It doesn't take
long for finger pointing to begin.
Eve says the serpent started it—
then Adam blames Eve.
No one looks in a mirror
God sends them into the world
with skins to cover up
Was God more disappointed
that they ate the apple
or that they looked
for someone to blame?