<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class="detail-hd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="hdg hdg_1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.231;">A Ritual to Read to Each Other</span><h2 class="isVisuallyHidden" style="margin: -1px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px; height: 1px; position: absolute; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); overflow: hidden;"><font size="4" class="">Related Poem Content Details</font></h2></div><div class="detail-byline" style="margin: 6px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class=""></div><div class="detail-bd" style="margin: 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="user-content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="user-content-text" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.5;"><div class="poem" data-view="ContentView" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">If you don't know the kind of person I am <br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">and I don't know the kind of person you are <br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">a pattern that others made may prevail in the<br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> world <br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">and following the wrong god home we may miss<br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> our star.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">For there is many a small betrayal in the mind, <br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">a shrug that lets the fragile sequence break <br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">sending with shouts the horrible errors of<br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> childhood <br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">storming out to play through the broken dike.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">And as elephants parade holding each<br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> elephant's tail, <br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">but if one wanders the circus won't find the<br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> park, <br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">I call it cruel and maybe the root of all cruelty <br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">to know what occurs but not recognize the fact.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">And so I appeal to a voice, to something<br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> shadowy, <br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">a remote important region in all who talk: <br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">though we could fool each other, we should<br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> consider -<br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">lest the parade of our mutual life get lost in the<br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">dark.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">For it is important that awake people be awake,<br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">or a breaking line may discourage them back to<br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> sleep; <br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">the signals we give - yes or no, or maybe -<br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">should be clear: the darkness around us is deep.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: 24px; widows: 1; text-indent: -1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- William Stafford</div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>