<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="">Ode to the Joyful Ones</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""> <span style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><i class=""> Shield your joyful ones.</i></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><i class=""> —from an Anglican prayer</i></span></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">That they walk, even stumble, among us is reason</div><div class="">to praise them, or protect them—even the sound</div><div class="">of a lead slug dropped on a lead plate, even that, for them,</div><div class="">is music. Because they bring laughter’s</div><div class="">brief amnesia. Because they stand,</div><div class="">talking, taking pleasure in others,</div><div class="">with their hands on the shoulders of strangers</div><div class="">and the shoulders of each other.</div><div class="">Because you don’t have to tell them to walk toward the light.</div><div class="">Because if there are two pork chops</div><div class="">they will serve you the better one.</div><div class="">Because they will give you the crutch off their backs.</div><div class="">Because when there are two of them together</div><div class="">their shining fills the room.</div><div class="">Because you don’t have to tell them to walk toward the light.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Thomas Lux</div></div></body></html>