Lee Potts

Adam locked up most of the world’s first

words, bellowing out a name for each

recently fashioned beast before he knew

anything at all. Eve had a favorite

and, arriving later, still knew best what to call it.

As they stumbled together out

of the garden all the names broke anyway.

Each creature was new again. Each slipped away

past them into the tall, wild grass—

some to begin to hunt, some to learn to hide.