Walking in the Garden

From Ann Glover O’Dell’s Scripture Surplice:

Walking in the garden

in the cool of evening

observing and enjoying all

God was pleased and

once again uttered

his ultimate critique

good

and sitting on a bench

began to wonder if

his just-made children

would walk the paths

in search of him with whom

twilight conversation

would bring congenial

ending to the day.

So waited he a while

until desire could not contain

the waiting any longer

and walked he then

in search of his beloved.

When all the paths walked fruitlessly

he called to roust the nappers

to the beauty of the sunset sky.

The wakeful ones

o’ercame timidity enough

to lead him to their hiding place.

With amateur leaf covering

reminiscent of a game of make believe

they showed themselves

admitting to their willful

rearranging of the

job description

given them to understand.

And looking long

and sitting down again

he wept.

“For us I made this Garden

for us to walk together

at such a time as this.

This was to be our Paradise.

I needed you.

Do you not want to be

my consort gardeners?”