<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><font>The Call<br></font><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><i><font size="3">(The first and last lines of the poem are from Tennyson’ s “Ulysses”)<o:p></o:p></font></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><i><font size="3"> </font></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><i><font size="3"> </font></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">“Though much is taken, much abides,”<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">speaks old Ulysses,<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">home at last but yearning still<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">for new adventures and a farther shore<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">as I, becalmed<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">in this airless city,<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">yearn for mountains and sea,<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">space and silence.<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">Oh, a mad restlessness is on me!<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">I will not be Penelope,<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">unravelling<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">the work of my days<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">while awaiting – what? – revelation?<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">Like the old man,<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">(and at his age, too)<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">I will count what still abides<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">and plan my escape.<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">I hear him shout<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">from afar,<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">as if through a shell held to my ear:<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">“Tis not too late<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><font size="3">to seek a newer world!”<o:p></o:p></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p><span style="font-size: medium; "> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; ">Nina Mermey Klippel</span></div></body></html>