By Eve Grubin

God unpoured the wine out of Eve

to create delay, the gap between wanting
and the wanted.

Before, with the wine pouring through her,
desire for touch blazed simultaneous with touch, flame to flame.

My desire lags, without speech.
Mute, a weight in my eyes, a whistling cavern in my knees.

Your desire will be to your husband and he will rule over you.

God unpoured the wine out of Eve and the birds began yearning.

A woman desires her husband as the rain wants the earth
to need it, as my transgressions hope I will seek them, as God wants me to pray.

I have been told
that force has no significance. No soul moves by force.

What I want will not come to me just because I desire it.
I have been told that I cannot force.

I don’t know how this will end.

God unpoured the wine out of Eve. I don’t know the end to this story.

From the author’s book, Morning Prayer.