pluck the fruit from this rock

And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:2-5

You thought

you could trust that power
when you plucked the fruit;
now it becomes a riddle again,
and you again a stranger. ~ Rilke, Dich wundert nicht des Sturmes Wucht translated by Anita Barrows

“The tempter came to Jesus and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.'” Matthew 4:3

it was the same voice

it spoke and its tone,

almost friendly,

was the same invitation:

pluck the fruit

from this rock

it will be bread for you

aren't you hungry?

you have the power,

you have an obligation

to feed yourself;

pluck the fruit from these rocks

to feed the world ...

it was the same voice

casual, yet persuasive:

throw yourself down;

you won't die

it was the same voice:

all this can be yours

– and you – a god,

if you hearken to me

it was the same lie