Was there really an Eden apple and a snake?
They said, Ixnay the fruit. The reptile’s ok.
Did you really want Abraham to kill his son?
They said, What kind of parent do you think I am?
Was Jesus in love with Magdalene?
They said, Love is mysterious.
Then I asked about the meaning of life.
They took my hand and strolled
along my favorite Maui beach.
The sunset was gathering honeymooners,
sand-castling kids, dogs, retirees,
and tourists with sunburns and cameras.
They said, When you can capture the awe of stars
and evening waves, feral cats and mourning doves,
and ants that lug four times their weight
to feed their families; when you can stand still
before the first hibiscus and thank it for its return
and praise the roosters serenading you awake;
when you can make everything holy with your attentiveness
and create community wherever your foot falls,
there’s nothing else to do. They said, as a green flash
woke silently and kissed the horizon’s edge.
