So much time and effort had been spent focusing upon preparation for the upcoming war that little time remained for reflection on the history of the region. Even as we crossed Kuwait’s northern border, it had not yet hit me where we were. We were in the Biblical Wilderness. Could it be that the names and places mentioned in the Old Testament, taught to so many of us as children, still existed in this foreign land?
I saw an old Iraqi map. The Garden of Eden was on this map – northwest of Baghdad in the desert. The Iraqis believe that life started in this remote place thousands of years ago. How odd it was to see the Garden on a map – not a figurative place from the Bible, but a real place in the sand.
It seemed to me that we were all in search of the Garden – of new life and new hope. The question was, could we realize this vision of prosperity? Or, was the Garden yet a myth, and our dreams of prosperity another desperate mirage?
THE GARDEN OF EDEN
Under the searing sun
sands blow wistfully
across the vast loneliness
We travel with our brothers, sisters, patriots
on our way to the Garden of Eden
The dry parched earth
its praetorian guard
Dust trails billow
making faces in the sky
Telling a story of romantic adventure
incredible optimism
As the sun sinks
the distant horizon is on fire
a blanket of darkness
moves across the desert like an iron wall
and slowly extinguishes the flames
No longer intimidated by the sun
stars begin to show themselves
The night breeze
under the endless sky
washes the desert floor
Stopping by an ancient road
wind worn ruins
remind us of the mythopeic past
How things change
How things remain the same
We travel on
in hope of the garden
Wondering if
hope is all that remains
—
Editor’s Note: This is the latest in a series of works submitted to SOFREP by Nate Slate. They cover his multi-year journey from a young boy in the mountains of Virginia, to becoming a young soldier, a family man and eventually leading the 17th Field Artillery Brigade into combat operations in Iraq. It’s a colorful, enlightening and moving narrative. We hope you enjoy it. – GDM
** Please visit Nate’s author page to connect with his other contributions: https://sofrep.com/author/nathan-slate/