Nathaniel King
Some people say the forbidden apple
would be easy to spot.
Some people say it wouldn’t
have that pesticide sheen.
Some people say the animals in the garden
would avoid it like the plague.
Some people argue
that the animals in paradise
would have no conception of plague,
just as plague victims
have no conception of paradise.
Some people are plagued by eternal doubts.
Some people say that in the garden of Eden,
besides eating the forbidden apple,
the most forbidden thing to eat is hot ribs
over an uncovered barbecue grill.
Some people say: Have some respect.
Adam literally made Eve from that.
Some people say Adam was once
a sourdough starter, a live culture
being cultivated in the petri dish
of God’s pastoral laboratory.
Some US states legally require hotels
to have a Good News Bible in every
nightstand. This does not apply to modern,
boutique or secular hotels. Some people
refine their hotel searches by ‘secular’.
Some people cannot touch a bible
without bursting into flame.
Some people are so hungry
they’ll eat anything
from an outstretched palm.
Nathaniel King is a poet from Cornwall, now living in Cambridgeshire. His debut poetry pamphlet, Ghost Clinic, was published by Broken Sleep Books and awarded an Eric Gregory Award in 2024. His poetry has appeared in The Poetry Review, Poetry London, The London Magazine, and elsewhere.
andotherpoems.com 