Iowa Writes

NAN GERMAIN
Eve in Eden


Sometimes she preferred not knowing the names of things.


For instance, in this forest she did not feel afraid, even though she couldn't remember how or when she'd come there. After all, she would know, if she passed it again, the tree with the lobed leaves flapping fatly. Or the three sentinels with their spindly branches and bare boles. The old specimen with the gnarled and gnobbed limbs had been on her left. Whereas, she recognized an apple tree—and then another and another—and they all looked alike.


When Eve knew the names, she was certain to get lost.

About Iowa Writes

Since 2006, Iowa Writes has featured the work of Iowa-identified writers (whether they have Iowa roots or live here now) and work published by Iowa journals and publishers on The Daily Palette. Iowa Writes features poetry, fiction, or nonfiction twice a week on the Palette.

In November of 2008, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated Iowa City, Iowa, the world's third City of Literature, making the community part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

Iowa City has joined Edinburgh, Scotland and Melbourne, Australia as UNESCO Cities of Literature.

Find out more about submitting by contacting iowa-writes@uiowa.edu


NAN GERMAIN

This poem originally appeared in Volume 5, Number 6 of 100 Words, a journal published by The University of Iowa's International Writing Program between 1993 and 1998. Each piece in the journal had to be 100 words or fewer, and each issue had a theme. This issue's theme was "On Garden."

This page was first displayed
on February 18, 2009

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