.

Fallen

The Universe was perfect, Heaven and Earth,
Upon Almighty God’s Creation’s birth!
He made the spirit-beings, Angels, free;
And later, Man with physicality.

Most-favored Lucifer the Fair grew proud,
Ungrateful for the gifts he’d been endowed,
Called for an armed rebellion; one-third followed
And rose against the Master, God all-hallowed.

Fair Lucifer found pride and empty boast
No match for the Commander of the Host.
Strong Michael led the godly thronged defense,
Defeated Lucifer, whom God cast hence
With all his minions to a barren place
Of ugliness and nothingness, no grace.

The followers of Lucifer (now Satan)
Stayed rallied around their ringleader and straitened
Their vitriol. Though rendered powerless
They still knew pride, swore not to acquiesce.
They’d not repent and ask God to forgive,
But to this day are vile and combative.

Foul Satan, rigid, would not apprehend
That God to any creature should extend
His favor—not to Angel, not to Man.
Contemptible, nefarious was his plan.

Now Man was highly favored, culmination
Of all the good works God made in Creation.
With Woman, Man’s potential could fulfill,
And like the Angels, they, too, had free will
Which proved to their undoing when they staved
Off innocence to hold a power they craved:
The evil one approached in serpent guise
To snare the innocent ones in his lies.
The lust to be a god! What strong desire!
They tumbled willingly into the mire.

On recognizing the enormity
Of what they had committed willfully
Deep shame and fear they felt, and ran and hid
As though to hide from God the sin they did.
Confronted, they laid blame, turned complaintive,
Did not repent, nor ask Him to forgive.

Evicted from the Garden, cursed to toil
In labor and in tilling rocky soil,
Our tarnished Mankind weeps, endures the pains
Of half a hundred centuries in chains,
Consistently embattled by the Devil.
Lord, save us and deliver us from evil!

.

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Mary Gardner is a poet living in Florida.

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16 Responses

  1. Roy Eugene Peterson

    What a beautiful and powerful rendition of the fall of Lucifer/Satan and his formerly angelic host from heaven to torture us from hell! Excellent rhyme and exquisite words mold your marvelous poem into a spellbinding and breathtaking work of classical art.

    Reply
  2. Mary Gardner

    Thank you, Roy, for your kind words. I am especially pleased you found the poem powerful.

    Reply
  3. Brian A Yapko

    Well done, Mary! This is an amazing and ambitious retelling of the Fall of Man with strong echoes of Genesis and Paradise Lost. It is written with great clarity, wonderful rhymes and a great deal of heart.

    Reply
    • Mary Gardner

      Thank you, Brian. Praise from such talented poets as you and Roy means a lot. I’m happy you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  4. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    Mary, this beautifully composed poem draws on exceptional sources to relay a much-needed message to a world that’s taken leave of its senses and trampled on morality. “Lord, save us and deliver us from evil!” is a perfect ending to a very fine poem indeed!

    Reply
    • Mary Gardner

      Thank you, Susan. It means a lot to receive words of praise from a poet as talented as you. I’m glad you liked it.

      Reply
  5. Norma Pain

    A beautiful descriptive poem and an amazing painting that depicts perfectly the Garden of Eden on the right, descending into ugliness on the left. Thank you Mary.

    Reply
    • Mary Gardner

      Thank you, Norma. I have learned much by reading your poems. I probably could not have written this two years ago.
      Evan chose the beautiful picture that accompanies it.

      Reply
  6. Margaret Coats

    Mary, this is a gracious reminder of an unforgettably sad story. Your choices in structure and vocabulary offer valuable new perspectives, such as “They tumbled willingly into the mire.” Most of all, I like the repeated refusal to ask for forgiveness, first from the fallen angels, then from tarnished mankind. But your final words, “deliver us from evil,” recall the Lord’s Prayer, in which we do ask forgiveness, and give forgiveness to others, before asking deliverance. That last line covers the need for God’s initiative and instruction to restore His creation after centuries in chains. Very well done!

    Reply
    • Mary Gardner

      Thank you, Margaret, both for your kind words and your always-keen insight. You actually helped me better understand my own poem. I am pleased that you enjoyed it.

      Reply
    • Mary Gardner

      Wow, Rohini! High praise indeed! Thank you.
      It is heartening to receive good words from those (like you and all who have commented) whose poems I enjoy and admire.

      Reply
  8. Cynthia Erlandson

    “They tumbled willingly into the mire” indeed. Thank you for this re-telling of the glorious-sorrowful Creation and Fall story. As Susan said above, its message is much-needed!

    Reply
    • Mary Gardner

      Thank you, Cynthia, for your kind words. Indeed, the Adversary and his minions are ceaseless in their attacks.

      Reply
  9. David Hollywood

    This is a powerful description of such an epic story, which embraces and maintains the event through a wonderfully classical presentation. Many thanks for this Mary.

    Reply

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