The Poles of Eden

[Guest guest]

This was one of Edinger's favorites.

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The Poles of Eden

Do not let me mock you, dear

do not let me hope

do not let me gather

a mother and a father

nor ask them why

after the release of gold

after the silver of their peace

after the sadness and the sleep

they gave up, turned inward

each to each his leaden dream

and left you weeping in their deep

crying

screaming

shuddering

for comfort and for love to keep.

Godself has a great pair of pincers

half a woman

half a man

and where they close, where one and One

in pulsing pinch of promise

life begins and love began.

Oh, constant Adam, taste your apple

roll your tongue about those pips

and kiss sweet knowing Eve

upon her musing lips

sons and pentacles and steer

her womb will render

and chattel is what those sons

will hold most dear-

spliced and sliced out of spit and soil, and split

One into desperate two

you seek through sweat and shame

and serpent dream, and do-

and you, poor Eve, aborted all that pain

that Self might gain in Abel and in Cain

and Adam called you keening

back to rest - you were his soul

his hope, your breast

and Seth he rendered second

unto death.

Tell me, son, still young

and brown, and marked, and hairy

do you range the desert?

are you lonely?

do you range

where stone and spirit

make exchange?

if you quest and thirst and rave

for answer, seek the mountain

seek the fountain

in that initiating cave -

there you'll find a tomb will mouth

your prick of conscience

and swallow continents and questions

the pestilence of thinking

deeds and fears

you'll pass through such a death of seed to peace

where one in beauty bends to save

to lead you up bright steps

by night-webbed gossamer

to what you crave

and at that inner height

you'll find from apple's pride and root

from knowledge and apple tomb absolved

grown

now luminous, now numinous

your flowering Tree of Light

your sanctifying Fruit of Life -

Godself holds a branch of annulating fire

and flails his grain

with time and with desire

and when all and ever

will be spent

retted and rent

He'll gather from the chaff and ash, the spark

and spin it starwards up

to spiral out to shimmer in the dark

then rest and smile

know and be charmed by love

filled and fulfilled

for this

ah, yes

is Wisdom.

This is what She meant.

a.o.howell

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Edinger pointed out the Tree of Life w/in grows fr the seed of the 'apple' - this makes sense of the dream I had of Jung telling me that there is 'one plant that grows in both our worlds.

When I asked him, all excited to think I cld ask him, he replied 'Oh, you'll find it someday!" n I woke up.

It took me 4 years. Cn u guess fr the poem what it is?

love

ao