Mary and Eve—Michael Stalcup

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by Michael Stalcup

Mary and Eve

           after the illustration by Sister Grace Remington

Then Mary took Eve’s hand—
     which once had felt the tender flesh
     of the forbidden fruit, plucked fresh,
defying God’s command
 
in favor of the snake’s:
     “You’ll be like gods!” the snake had lied,
     and so she’d eaten, fallen, died,
watched all creation break—
 
and yet, within that curse
     had burned a seed, sown like a spark,
     that sang of freedom from the dark
in veiled and pregnant verse.
 
Eve laid her sin-stained hand
     on Mary and her hidden Kin
     and felt the Promise kick within
her womb: their God made man!
 
The snake had left her dead—
     this child whose very name meant Life—
     but here she touched, amid her strife,
the One who’d crush its head.

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Michael Stalcup is a missionary and poet living in Bangkok, Thailand. His poems have been published in Commonweal, Cultivating, Ekstasis, First Things, and Sojourners. He co-teaches Spirit & Scribe, a workshop integrating spiritual formation and writing craft (which several Rabbits have attended). You can find more of his work at michaelstalcup.com.

Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash