Monday, November 28, 2011

Paradise Lost and Found

This poem was inspired by Milton's Paradise Lost.  That work has changed my life in so many ways!  I was assigned to read it for class last year and (procrastinator that I can be) waited until the day before it was due to read it.  So I ended up having to devour all 12 books in one huge bite.  It was best for me that way.  I had a big picture view of it that I would have lost otherwise.  As with the post on Planet Narnia, if you haven't read Milton's epic (I mean that literally, not flippantly) poem, you won't catch all the details of this little scribble, but maybe it will communicate the depth of what I learned anyway.  It is dedicated to Charity and Jacob Hanby for many reasons...first, Charity worked through Paradise Lost with me and cried with me through that class.  :)  Also because as a couple, they embody the truths presented here with a beautiful marriage.  I've watched Jacob's strength provide for Charity's submission in a stunning, living picture of the gospel.  These lines were my wedding present to them.

Paradise Regained

When you will sleep and find in time
your insufficient rib
and then awake and find that rib in me,
Then take my hand
and guide me not through feeling nor through flowers-
Reliving Eden's fruit and also Eden's failures-
But take my hand
and let us walk
through fire, fault, and flood;
and with me build a home on Rock
the tears and joy and blood,
and never blindly me allow,
as Adam once let Eve,
to free myself from freedom in your grasp.
And Eden will arise in us
shameless, pure, and strong;
A home to shatter curses
and right the ancient wrong.

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