When Adam stood
beyond the gates of Eden,
With Eve huddled weeping by his side,
He looked down and
saw the new creation,
The streams and woods
and valleys deep and wide,
The flying fish and killer sharks
that wandered in the seas,
The lion cubs and antelope
that walked beneath the trees,
And he asked God,
where among the beasts do I be long?
No answer came,
only sweet bird song.
He startled the roe deer
drinking by the river.
They turned and ran,
and Adam watched them go.
The ruffled water settled to a mirror,
And Adam leaned
and found his face be low.
He saw the gentle lips
that were parted in surprise
And the undefended beauty
of the wide open eyes
And he asked God,
will I then be gentle like the deer?
No answer came,
but the bird sang clear
He followed down the
river to the seashore
And watched the fish in
colour strong and bright
And he longed to move
as they moved in the water
And be clothed like them
in rainbow -coloured light
But as he watched he saw
that they were making cruel war
Battling for food and fighting
to divide the ocean floor
And he asked God the Lord,
will I fight like one of these?
Only the birds sang
in the silence of the trees
And as they sang,
they drove away their rivals,
Till each claimed a country of his own.
And Adam saw the lions fight the lions,
Till each ruled a hunting ground alone.
And Adam said to God,
I'll rule the land around,
This valley full of stones
is gonna be my hunting ground.
This flint axe for my lion,
for this slinging rock for song
And is it with the hunting beasts
that I belong?
Only the rock whispered
lions fight each other
They win their ground
and then they live at peace
But one beast shall hunt to kill his brother
A man whose wars will never cease
For God made the beasts,
for the rock will passion man
God leaves you gentle
till the axe is in your hand
Now go to your wife
where she's labouring in pain
An d the child that she delivers,
call him Cain