I take long walks
beneath the gently sprawling limbs
of trees I did not plant myself,
arm-in-arm with friends I did not plan
to find, and know, and love.
In between planning what their children will call me,
we stop to crunch leaves
and run from the rain that faithfully falls
on the earth that we did not create.
Water drips from our fingers and runs down our backs
as laughter splits my face—
I wonder why I doubted
in the goodness of my God.