Jose Padua: On the Realization that Miracles are the Result of Hard Labor

“I’m not having one of those things
coming out of me,” my six year old
daughter says, meaning babies, “No way!”
She pokes her head up from the back seat
on our way home from the doctor,
her brother next to her but five months
away from being born. “I’m just going
to adopt,” she declares in defiance,
because when you’re young that’s
what you rely on. Then reflecting
on what might be expected from her
by family, by friends, by fellow travelers
in a future she knows will be here
whether she’s ready or not, she says,
anticipating the asking of questions
that may be less than polite,
“I’ll just lie. Tell everyone I tried.”

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copyright 2015 by Jose Padua

photograph by Jose Padua