The gospel of Eden

this is my birth & my death,
my genesis & revelations.

the whole tragedy played out from
prologue to exode. / chorus singing

yes, i’m killing myself /
but i’m coming back alive

i’m standing at the gates of eden
& singing for salvation. i touched

the blade of a sword on fire and
was unmade / boy—undone.

and you’re still scraping at the doors of
eden, trying to get in / you’ve never seen
perfection you couldn’t swallow whole.

your eyes and your stomach are the same
size. flames were made to devour / and you

have fire in your blood. you forge weapons
and you’d burn down a house. you’re

the sword the angel holds in his
hands / when you touch me i can’t tell

if i’m bleeding
or burning alive

By Eliel Vera

Biography:

Eliel “Eli” Vera is a writer/poet/hopeful historian who has contributed to several collaborative works and has been formally recognised for creative and critical analyses of art. Originally from coastal Nigeria, but currently living in coastal England, he has an obsession with cookie dough ice cream and travelling the world. He, and his other works, can be found at foucaullt.tumblr.com.