<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 style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;" class="">The North Star</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""><b class=""></b></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">When ritual bonds fracture, <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">handshakes endanger; </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">When veneer peels, reveals </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">the sudden care <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">for the jailed, the homeless, </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">as mere self-protection; </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">When our rulers rule clueless, </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">no skill but deception, <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">jockeys for advantage <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">regard-less, care-less,</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">while their murdochs* </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">disgrace the fourth estate;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">When factions war<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">in the uncivil twilight<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">like fissured siblings<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">at their father’s funeral; </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">When our economic engine </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">of consumer consumption <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">lurches us sputtering <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">down the bouldered cliff, <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">while, all out </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">of touch,<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">mad men at the wheel </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">scheme to give us </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">the business </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">as usual,</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Hit the gas raving “Go Go Go!”— <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">that’s all they know— <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">What will we do?<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">What will it take, this obscure future <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span><span style="font-kerning: none; color: #b00004" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">that abruptly demands us?<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Where should we start but to find </span><span style="font-kerning: none; color: #b00004" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">our own center, deeply in touch, </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">One by one.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Together.</span><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-font-kerning: none;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 13px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 13px;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- <span style="text-indent: 36px;" class="">Paul DeMarco</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Calibri; min-height: 13px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Calibri;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""> *Murdoch - a Scottish term for describing a man who is “a selfish old beast”</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Calibri; min-height: 13px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 72px; text-indent: 36px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Calibri;" class=""><br class=""></div></div></body></html>