<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 class="" style="font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;">Thirst</div><div class="" style="font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;">They are all older than me —</div><div class="" style="font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;">the mountains, seas, trees.</div><div class="" style="font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;">They hold the wisdom of the years,</div><div class="" style="font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;">the secrets to survive.</div><div class="" style="font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;"><span class="" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">They know not to fret</span></div><div class="" style="font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;">over small things,</div><div class="" style="font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;">that the world goes on around them</div><div class="" style="font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;">crazy and blind.</div><div class="" style="font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;"><span class="" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">They remain steadfast in presence,</span></div><div class="" style="font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;">all drinking from the same pool —</div><div class="" style="font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;">the one at the center of the universe,</div><div class="" style="font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;">the one offering me a sip.</div><div class="" style="font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Sherrie Lovler</div></div></body></html>