The Days of Eden ended
not because of the woman Eve
who ate of its fruits;
but because of toxic masculinity
which made rules to reign her in.
Who gives abundance
only to test restraint ?
Her generosity of spirit,
her willingness to share,
her offer to feed her mate
cannot be the cause of man’s downfall.
Was it the shock of her greater
courage, curiosity, generosity and love
which pushed man over the edge?
Images of him dragging her by the hair,
cudgel in his hand to beat her
into submission, as her screams rend the air
are still with us today.
Women are still forced to cover their hair,
lest they lead men astray.
Women work the soil in our gardens
until we are covered in dirt
and mud stains our clothes
and seeps between our toes.
We stand and stretch admiring the roses
then head inside to shower and clean
our naked bodies, and wash seeds
and other debris out of our hair.
How good it feels to be washed clean
inside and out, away from man’s glare.
How lovely the gardens we tend
all over the world, where men continue to tell
us we must suffer for our sins
and bear children in pain to remove the stain
of our sexuality, all for man’s gain.
I love my garden, I do.
But I would have loved Eden, too.
But, man, fearful, foolish man
threw it all away.
annarino writes 