Red and delicious
sweet and tempting
perfect to look upon
only a finger's tip away
yet as unattainable
as a star in the sky
yet as beautiful and bright
to the eye.

"look here, look here,"
slithers a forked tongue
"one who wants
that which they cannot
have.
my favorite kind
of unsuspecting victim."
and with a twist
and a bite
the apple drops
and a young hand,
delicate and pink,
eagerly grabs
that which they could not
hold.

smiling, she bites
oh so delicious
juices of god
nectar,ambrosia
forbidden pleasure...
share the taste
with another
eat it, savour it -
the taste of the damned.

the sweet turns to sour
the ambrosia to poison
with a look of horror
they realize their sin.
ashamed and afraid
they cover themselves
hiding and trembling
awaiting their fate.

"what have you done
my child, my son,
led by a woman
you have fallen
and sinned.
no more to this garden
shall you be allowed
take leave and go
and work for your sins.

and for you, my daughter,
to you I do my worst.
your envious looks
at that which you cannot have
bring you astray
and led you here.
I curse you forever
with a pain so terrible
that you shall always
remember the sin
you have done."

"please have mercy"
cried the poor girl
and fell to her knees
with tears in her eyes
"I meant not what I did,
the snake did fool me
and gave me this thing,
he tricked me into eating
and committing this sin."

God took pity on her
and said instead:
"I shall be merciful
but you must be punished
so instead of always
only once a moon
shall this pain come to you.
and on those days you shall feel
my wrath and remember this day
and how you've been led astray
by temptation and desire of things
beyond your grasp."