adam’s apple
a prose poem in ten parts
8 AM, fan pretends the day won’t scorch. purgatory rolls off the tongue. adam awakes upside down in bed. the usual.
the snake was just a dream he thought, but the apple was good. she even had a name if he could remember it now. he couldn’t. like ripe fruit, he fell.
word was on the tip of his tongue. remember that taste? lightning scratched on bare thighs. desire? if only he knew! 9 AM. he had to think about work.
a warm sand beach. what am I doing here? unreasonable, but shy about the serpent story, and everywhere he turned another apple burst into flame.
adam’s gaze lingers outside the bus window. placards at the intersection proclaim “remember me”. remember what? but he takes it personally. smiles.
she says to him, here be dragons. my life will be like a single breath. he lunges. smoke through his fingers. again. nothing makes sense. desire remains.
falling remains. dark, he remembers, no, feels like a twisting rope. two limbs surrender words. bright nonsense. he fills a book. lets go that breath cupped in two hands.
a blue boat with yellow sails. another made of glass, swans for heads. anomies between salt wet rocks. it was there from the beginning. desire’s waves.
what if the sky loved me, and I never guessed? is wind a kiss? more than thought, sensibility. in his pocket, a compass, circled by finger’s touch.
childless he thought. but words pour out. what began as a seed becomes a fruit. and the snake was always meant as a kindly cheshire jest. just like dawn.
neil reid © june 2013
Written for the We Write Poems prompt series the protagonist
being a ten part series by Irene, beginning with prompt 154 who is your protagonist? and concluding with prompt 163 found treasure Please go read.
comments:
First, with thanks to Irene for doing this wonderful series of prompts. Second, I haven’t written much of anything for several months. Don’t believe in writer’s block, but still, no poems had room to find place with me. Third, didn’t want to let this series pass without some contribution in appreciation. So my response, all ten prompts written in one brief prose poem. Dusty me.
bearly audible 
What, a ten in one poem? You outdid the prompts! Whimsical play with the apple and serpent. Lands just right.
Your hand on mine for this one Irene. Fur’real. The best thanks a writer can give is to write. That’s “why”. And the “how” was to immerse myself in your lovely palette of prompts, and then just “not think” but simply write. What I needed, have needed, to write was right there all along. Thanks for the open door!
Yes you followed the trajectory pretty closely. I’m pleased.
Wow! Amazingly done =) Love the modern twist
Thank you for commenting on my rather dubious poem response. An invention of necessity! Glad if it pleased you.
I have always rather liked snakes. t’s only for one story that the interpretation is askew. Perhaps like you, the snake is a hero. *I see that blush*
I really liked the 9th stanza. Wind is powerful magics 😉 And a compass gives us hope that we are going in the direction we want to tred.
Only when/if you have time mine are altogether here:
http://juleslongerstrandsofgems.wordpress.com/we-write-poems-series-protagonist-may-june-2013/
Thanks Jules. Well I have my own somewhat unique point of view about that one particular serpent, maybe obvious here, maybe not. Yes, the 9th, that was rather the heart of this poem. How much do we overlook that is right in front of us?
Look forward to reading yours. Although now that Irene’s series is complete I’m back in the hot seat for a while, so looking looking at what next prompt to do. Tough act to follow! 🙂
I like that you grouped your series together. Thanks again.
Wow…an entire journey in one poem.
I always hated the biblical version of the story — I’ve felt as if it’s full of excuses, hidden agendas, and blame (especially on the female — and what is so wrong with wanting knowledge?). I like William Blake’s take on the whole thing — you sacrifice innocence to gain knowledge, and how you feel about it in the end is entirely up to you. There are joys and sorrows in both innocence and experience.
But your speaker is looking for desire…the ghosts of apples and women on his fingertips…those memories can be so luscious. I hope to see an apple explode into flame within my lifetime.
-Nicole
thank you Nicole! someday if it’s quiet and dim, perhaps we can share creation stories! (or maybe when it’s all bright outside!) me, think I’ve long thought all that conventional creation stuff was just too much, too complex, too indulgent with other agendas. don’t much care for mystery in this respect, think that Spirit wants to be known, to be understood. wouldn’t any parent of their child? think there is a core inside the “stories” and when we reach that truth becomes simple and obvious. but enough…
and of course (seemed right to do) this poem is ripe with personal images that I just let stand as is, without explaining it all (what’s the fun of that?).
thanks again, neil
Bravo: you gave that pesky block its come-uppance – writing is the only way to confront a block. I like your poemlets, they make a cohesive whole, yet remain distinct in response to Irene’s protagonist prompts.
oh thank you Viv! for one, don’t believe in writer’s block (just means, for whatever reason, I want something else more than writing). (although what? is a question.) but yes, one – just write and two – Irene’s prompts were just too wonderful not to respond however I could. so desire counts.
still, writing remains a challenge for me now. although I am working on a prose/journal/article piece that addresses the issue in some part.
thank you for your reading and comment Viv. neil