In the Land of the Living

by Charis Crandall

Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, by Thomas Cole, oil on canvas, 1828

IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING

In Eden

Adam named each

everywhere-good thing God had made,

but east of Eden where I live,

the un-good claims names,

multiplies, bears

too much fruit.

Disheartened,

I peer down garden rows,

beneath words, around

river bends, behind scars—

searching, hoping, longing

for glimpses of Eden-good.

Oh,

to have thought goodness

a blink-and-you’ll-miss it

apparition, a shadow,

a fading, fallen echo, echo, echo

when

everywhere-all around it oscillates,

undulates, thrums, soars,

rustles, sings, sighs, roars.

Un-good

by any name cannot un-name,

cannot undo

God’s founding goodness—

the eternal foundation

on which each,

every one of us breathes.

CHARIS CRANDALL

Charis Crandall lives in Wembley, Alberta, Canada, and enjoys exploring the northern prairies and mountains of this land she calls home. Her art and writing reflect her appreciation for God’s grace in ordinary and difficult moments.

She can be found on Instagram as @charisdcrandall and Substack at charisdcrandall.substack.com.