there was another tree

mountain evening, originally uploaded by z e n.

there was another tree
in the garden of eden
not the one the snake twined around
thick with apples made forbidden
but another tree
whose sap oozed love

it healed cuts
and tasted of pomegranates and kiwi fruit
and brought visions of innocence
and smelled of day-old babies
and hummed to itself
and felt like a stolen kiss
when breezes lifted its leaves
to graze our skin

young abel
built a tree-house in that tree
was his secret place
not from god who saw it all
but hidden moments from his family
and one day
in that tree
being without others
alone in his thoughts
while the tree bloomed pink
and dappled light played on his hair
and for no reason that he knew
abel cried all day

which was a thousand years

-zen