Once upon a long, long time,
a long, long time ago,
there was not a single thing
of all that we now know;
absolutely nothing
was all that could be seen;
nothing here, nothing there,
and nothing in between.
The universe was empty
like a pocket with a hole,
as silent as the 'b' in lamb,
and black, as black as coal.
If you close the curtains
and switch off every light,
if you stop your thinking
and screw your eyes up tight,
can you imagine nothing?
I don't suppose you can;
nothing disappeared, you see,
the day it all began.
And everything began, of course,
as everyone should know,
once upon a long, long time,
a long, long time ago.
In those distant days of old
God was one and all,
alone he wandered in the dark,
strong and proud and tall.
But though he was almighty
and called himself the Lord,
in all that empty mothingness
he very soon got bored.
So one fine day he raised his hand
where cosmic vapours swirled,
and stretching out his mighty arms -
'Tok!' - he made the world.
He saw that it was beautiful,
he saw that it was right,
he couldn't see much else, of course,
because there was no light.
But this was not a problem
for God to dwell upon,
he raised his mighty arms again
and 'Tok!' the dark had gone.
Then he really saw it all,
the wondrous thing he'd done,
and swiftly made the land and seas,
the moon, the stars and sun.
When he'd finished making these,
so colourful and bright,
he made the heavens up above,
and then the day and night.
He felt such joy and happiness
at all the things he saw,
he made the bushes and the trees,
the flowers and so much more.
He started making animals,
both medium, large, and small,
with legs and tails, wings or scales,
he quickly made them all.
When everything was ready,
according to his plan,
he scooped a little dust up
and made the world's first man.
After sittting for a while
in quiet contemplation,
'Adam' was the name he chose
to call his new creation.
God was really happy now,
he had so much to do,
his man would need a helping hand
and lots of guidance, too.
God decided that his man
should be the one in charge
of all the plants and animals,
both medium, small and large.
But Adam would require a gift
to carry out this role,
so God blew in his nostrils
and gave his man a soul.
The Lord was pleased with Adam,
he was so proud indeed,
and really quite determined
to meet his every need.