"This isn't working out,"
God says to the first man and first woman.
"I had this great plan,
but you're not cooperating."

"What's the problem?"
the woman asks.
"Aren't we following the rules?"

"Well, that's exactly it."
God sighs and draws his hand across his face.
"I was counting on you breaking one of them–
the one about the tree."

"So we're a disappointment
because we've done what you said?"
The man glances sideways at the woman.

"It's a little embarrassing, but…yes."
God picks lint from his sleeve.

"Awkward," murmurs the woman.

"So what happens next?" the man asks.
"Should we eat of the tree?
Would that make things better?"

 God clears his throat.

"Well, no, it won't, you see.
Since you now know I want you to,
it wouldn't be a sin."

The man says,"I'm finding it hard
to feel responsible for this…"

"Oh, my, no," God interrupts.
"Entirely my doing. Still…"

"Yes?"

"I feel the need to start over."

"Start over?"

"With a new couple,
a new woman and man who aren't quite so…
perfect."

The man shifts on his log.
"And what happens to us?"

"I've been giving that some thought.
I have another planet–
another new one–
and hadn't planned much for it yet–
certainly not going to try this again…"

"Is it warm?" she asks.
"And is there a nice garden,
like this?"

"Oh, definitely.
Well, not quite yet,
but there could be.
Anything you'd like, actually,
as long as we can…um…
keep this to ourselves."

The man and woman confer.
"Okay," they say.

"Oh, wonderful," God says,
clearly relieved.

And that's how the original man
and the original woman
ended up in a beautiful garden
on a planet far away,
where kindness and laughter, stillness and freedom
continue unrestricted to this day.

Text and image © 2011 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.