The First Pair of Underpants

colorful pairs of boxer shorts hanging in a closet

I wonder
Did God’s heart (I mean the love-mushy, endearing part of God)
That part
The heart that I don’t really believe in as a thing,
With pulses...

ANYWAY

Did that heart
Did it
Break just a little;

When God realized

"Oh no—
They have made leaves into underpants!"

If God says things like "underpants"?

And then the weight hit God

Like the first time you watch your child feel self-conscious
Hold back the loud belly laugh
Or worse yet bring down their eyes
Because the shoes you bought
Aren’t good
Enough.

Did God’s heart
Break just a little
to see the beauty of freedom slip from their hearts
As the heat and heaviness of shame washed over
The two in that garden
Who now knew
Not enough
No more naked
No more belly laugh
And for the first time wondered
Am I good enough?

Did God cry a little,
Maybe even turn away so they wouldn’t see the tears?