
<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">The Booby Prize</span></div><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">My friend Jana tells me "knowing</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Is the Booby Prize." </span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Once known the answer ossifies into Certainty.</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Can we know Life</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Without wanting</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">To trap it, cage it?</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">The heart’s rhythm arrives -</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Constant waves carrying</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">The rich soup of the soul.</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Each wave, each beat, its own universe</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Each one its own gift, its necessary</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Step in Creation’s dance.</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">We, who are frozen in ideas</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">And answers</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Crave change, but belief</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Blocks Life’s insistent responses.</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Has our terrible</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Demand for certainty caused</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">This chaos, this burning planet?</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Is our home dying to free herself from</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Our Absolute Knowing?</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Every day our only habitat baptizes us</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">In Fire, winds and floods. </span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Every moment our planet pleads and punishes.</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Her heart breaks, whispers, “Listen. If you must be sure:</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Be certain of Change. </span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Cherish Wind, Water, Air, Love all your living Companions. Here are</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">The only gods, the one</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class="">Absolute you need.”</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Rebecca del Rio</span></div></div></div></div></body></html>