Adam's Humanity
Allow that the least atom may be separated from all else:
this was my position.
Darkness, or rather nothingness
in every direction,
and every second identical.
As my fears that I must be asleep, drugged, dead or worse
shrank like stars of the morning
I knew their fate to be like mine
and emptiness, darkness or nothingness
was not really so bad!
It was now I saw as if with eyes
a bright ribbon (grant me a whim: I will withhold the colour)
as vivid as any I might see or imagine
if I could approach I would. I could, I did.
I found my loneliness assuaged, and I spoke
"Dear pretty little thing
you who were never alive and cannot die
you come to me now as all there is
I am astonished by your beauty"
it seemed as if I had found a newborn kitten
and I spoke as I would then "Don't you worry
sweet little thing, Adam is here
tell me what you want and I will bring it
yes I will" Gladly I would have
taken the delicate strand with me
to the heart of the black hole I had decided
I must be spiralling into
but then
"Someone after me, innocent as any,
may follow this way frightened and despondent,
let them also be uplifted and encouraged"
I gave my charming goodbye and watched the light
float away, fading, shrinking, to nothingness.
Adam Whitworth
Fri 30th Jun 2017 00:29
Dear Anna, I'm so pleased you were urged to comment in such a positive way, thankyou very much.
Dear cynthia, thankyou for your comments. The infinity of things worse than death don't need me to start listing them,
I can't believe you mean there's 'nothing worse than death'.
A religious whiff is unavoidable in this poem, our "Adam" could be he of fig-leaf fame. If so (it is just one angle, Adam is also my own name, it could well be a more personal confession. In fact it is well known that where we have two interpretations of a poem, they are probably both pertinent, we must take both roads at once) I imagine this episode before the advent of apple-keen Eve, seeing Adam as an everyman, and exploring his humanity as such, even while he is the only man.
He starts in a state of perfect isolation and not very happy about it but even here he can find a believable positive attitude- it's not so bad. ?
He is then delighted finding something (rather than nothing), although it is quite inanimate, he appreciates it a great deal and his mood is certainly lifted. ?
The idea at least of a living creature, a companion, raises his spirits to a high pitch and at this point in his journey through the poem I would call him happy, despite the uncertain position. ?
His fellow humans he considered next, though none are present. His 'family' we might say, with the overwhelming love that entails. His concern for them, generous and altruistic I like to think, is the culmination of his Humanity which has been developing throughout the story. ?