Babel (A Golden Shovel)

After Genesis 11:1-9, NIV 

By: Grace Whitaker

“Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.” 

Only the decaying corpse of a city memorializes us now,
Bricks and tar whisper of a once great people,   and the
Ambition we shared:   we thought we could put the whole
Creation beneath our feet.   We would go beyond the world
And we felt as if nothing could stop us.   We thought we had
Enough in common   to move in tandem and think   as one,
So we began to imagine that we had no need of language.
But He tore us down–   brick by brick–   He scattered us and
Confused our tongues,   and when nothing remained but a
Skeleton of stones,   we realized we had nothing in common,
Nothing but the dust of pride and the echo   of native speech.

Grace is a third year majoring in English