<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="">I Think Continually of Those</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">I think continually of those who were truly great.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Who, from the womb, remembered the soul's history</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Through corridors of light where the hours are suns,</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Endless and singing. Whose lovely ambition</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Was that their lips, still touched with fire,</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Should tell of the spirit clothed from head to foot in song.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">And who hoarded from the spring branches</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">The desires falling across their bodies like blossoms.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">What is precious is never to forget</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">The delight of the blood drawn from ancient springs</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Breaking through rocks in worlds before our earth;</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Never to deny its pleasure in the simple morning light,</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Nor its grave evening demand for love;</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Never to allow gradually the traffic to smother</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">With noise and fog the flowering of the spirit.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Near the snow, near the sun, in the highest fields</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">See how these names are fêted by the waving grass,</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">And by the streamers of white cloud,</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">And whispers of wind in the listening sky;</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">The names of those who in their lives fought for life,</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Who wore at their hearts the fire's center.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Born of the sun, they traveled a short while towards the sun,</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">And left the vivid air signed with their honor.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""> - Stephen Spender</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><img apple-inline="yes" id="57A0B8C5-A89F-48A4-8638-678699A87524" src="cid:4327410E-B981-42CC-86B8-0CE13E37E00C@gateway.sonic.net" class=""></div></div></body></html>