Eve

Daughter of Eve

by Megan Chester, Undergraduate of English, Christ Church, Oxford (written for this blog, February 2020)

I never got to be a child,
Never had that time to grow.
I didn’t have a mother telling me
All the things that I should know.

I fell with such velocity,
That the world still feels the quake.
Daughter, I found out the hard way,
So please learn from my mistake.

I know evil, daughter,
I know how he plays –
He waits until you’re vulnerable,
Invites himself in, stays.

But my love, don’t talk to strangers,
Never entertain his game;
It’s hard to win and the loser’s
Forever burdened with his blame.

Daughter, don’t dance with the devil –
Be bold in what you know is right.
He’ll trample your knowledge with what you don’t know.
Though the bait may look tempting, don’t bite.

Don’t follow in my footsteps child,
Only follow paths divine,
And I’ll be right there behind you
Until we reach the time

When I can’t go where you can tread.
There I will meet the end,
But I’ll watch you from the gate and pray
That God’s grace will extend.

Be careful of always wanting more.
Save yourself the cost.
I paid but my debt’s still great,
So, love, learn from what I lost.

Seemingly sweet is sour,
This I wish that I was told.
A lesson you figure through suffering
When as a newborn you are old.

I had more love than I could carry,
So much desire – what to do?
But in this strength the snake saw weakness.
I was naïve. The serpent knew.

I was seduced by a promise of wisdom,
Which the wise would have refused.
My heart chased what it didn’t love –
Its desire was abused.

I was lured into loving a beauty,
Which true love would have let go.
Where I was weak, my child, be strong.
I have faith you can say no.

I wish you could feel how it was before
The dawn of darkness came.
When united in flesh we loved and were loved,
When bare bodies knew no shame.

Please, if you can, forgive me child
When labour tears you limb from limb.
I wish I’d done things differently
And never let him in.

I hear his hissing every night
And I’m sorry every day
That, because I tripped and fell so far,
Your life must be this way.

Child, all this one day will change,
In flesh and blood beyond our scope,
But until then listen to your mother’s words,
My darling daughter Hope.

Perhaps you too in days to come
Will be lover, mother, wife,
Or perhaps you won’t, but Daughter of Eve
I know you will breathe life.

Precious girl, please don’t make my mistakes.
I’m sure at times you’ll make your own.
But remember, even if you do,
You’ll never fall alone.

A prayer for Lent adapted from the Book of Common Prayer
Almighty God, grant your people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow you, the only God; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen