Taking Dominion

When we began the work, the Earth was but a dream of a dream, the heavens no more than formless darkness in our thoughts

Until intent found its voice in our great being and awakened, envisioning worlds and stars, darkness and light, life and death

Before the first morning followed evening and the first day began.

After birthing the heavens, we fashioned a world made of water, earth and fire and swaddled it within the firmament of our life-giving breath

And above it we appointed a great body of light to command the day, and a smaller one to rule the night with the stars in their numberless multitudes

Till morning followed evening and the new Earth entered its second day.

And upon the Earth we planted a garden and carved its soil with our hands trapping the waters to nourish lush greenery, grains and fruit bearing trees,

And we filled the waters with teeming life and the vault of the skies with birds and formed many kinds of animals to graze upon our lavish garden

Before morning followed evening to yet a third day.

But our work, far from complete, we dreamed of many strange and wonderful creatures, some like apes and monkeys swinging within the trees

While still others tunneled within the earth, from the tiniest worm to the blind mole, the proliferating rabbits in their warrens to the cunning fox.

Day following night our work continued till the sky rippled with dark clouds or shone with sapphire hues, its majestic vault limning the heavens.

The seas, we fretted with the fiery brilliance of corals, sea anemones, and fishes of every size and color, the work brimming with our vision's beauty.

And gazing upon the world we had formed we saw that it was good.

When visiting our garden to speak with the creatures teaming the earth and sky and seas, they comprehended not our words nor the work of our hands.

Greatly saddened, we cloaked the earth in a heavy mist and everything that lived, moved and drew breath fell into a deep and dreamless slumber.

We mixed water, air and earth to make living clay, our most perfect work, one that might experience awe and render onto us worshipful obedience.

The mists dissipating in the light of the morning sun, all that flew or tread upon four hooves gathered about our new work and bowed low before her.

Wakened, she gazed at the worshipful creatures and the lavish garden, till her eyes finally turned to the sky above, her thoughts overcome with awe.

When we came to her in the still of the morning, we gestured to the animals encircling her and gave her dominion to rule over them.

"You will tend to our garden," we commanded, "and eat every green thing and of the fowl in the air and of the cattle that they serve and nourish you."

But she comprehended us not; she did not eat of the fowl nor the cattle but doted upon them in like fellowship, eating the grain and seed that they ate.

And we saw it was not good that the woman should be alone and once again covered the Earth with mists and she fell into a very deep sleep.

Coming to her in the glow of the lesser light, we took from her the apple in her throat and fashioned a man to take dominion over her with his rod.

And awakening in the morning, the man beheld the woman and seeing her shapely breasts and wide hips desired her, climbing atop her as she slept.

But she awakened and kicked the apples beneath his rod before he could lay with her, the man inventing tears as he fell and the woman laughter.

The man complained to us bitterly, "why did you give me the rod to take dominion over the woman but did not protect my life-giving apples?"

We commanded the woman to lay beneath the man, but she complained, "you made me first, he should lie beneath me, and I rule over him."

Looking dismally upon the woman and the man we had formed we saw that it was not good.

We commanded sternly that she should obey, or we would cast her out of our lavish garden, but when she left the animals followed meekly after.

After the frustration of our great work, and a long and fruitless week, we rested and resolved to try again on the morrow.