That fund of grace............

                     Original Sin

Well, anyhow, it preserves us from the pride

of thinking we invented sin ourselves

by our originality, that famous modern power.

In fact, we have it from the beginning

of the world by the errors of being born,

being young, being old, causing pain

to ourselves, to others, to the world, to God

by ignorance, by knowledge, by intention,

by accident.  Something is bad the matter

here, informing us of itself, handing down

its old instruction.  We know it

when we see it, don't we?  Innocence 

would never recognize it.  We need it

too, for without it we would not know

forgiveness, goodness, gratitude,

that fund of grace by which alone we live.

-Wendell Berry