<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">August 21, 2017 – Hope<br>
<br>
I almost can’t say what happened <br>
that sunlit morning<br>
<br>
As maple leaves rustled in a light breeze<br>
and seedlings twirled to the grass<br>
a sudden shadow covered the world<br>
<br>
Kronos for a moment lost his grip <br>
on the calendar rolled tight in his fist <br>
and the years they scattered loose <br>
in a darkened wind<br>
<br>
The present cleaved clean<br>
from the rule of order<br>
as memories past and future foundered<br>
<br>
For a time out of time we stood silent <br>
as chaos and stillness called our names, then<br>
<br>
Sun peered around the edge of eternity returned<br>
<br>
We built a fire of Januarys, Julys, Decembers<br>
Left a few out<br>
<br>
Warmed our hands<br>
Gave old Kronos a seat by the blaze<br>
Asked him for a new order<br>
free of absolute certainty<br>
<br>
That seemed unlikely<br>
considering our checkered past <br>
<br>
On the other hand<br>
he didn’t say <i>No</i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br>
<br>
<br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Karl W. Frederick </div></div></body></html>