<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"></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: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To walk in a mad world,</div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">but not be mad.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To not imagine how it happened,<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">but know the all too painful why.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To mourn hope's demise,<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">but revive it from deep within.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To weaken at the knees,<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">but stand strong in my belief.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To feel broken, <o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">but somehow begin the repair.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To have justice denied<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">but know it must come of my own making<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To be empty,<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">but not full of hate.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To know despair,<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">but make short the relationship.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To have worth demeaned<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">but know my worth's meaning.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To have no words,<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">but find something worthy to say.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To have confusion be the choice,<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">but see my own way clear.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To be bitter,<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">but find sweetness in kindred hugs.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To have the game cheated away<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">but my life's practice soundly played.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To wallow in all this misery,<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">but wash clean in worthy mission after.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To be lost<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">but keep the bearing home in heart's map.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To have the heaviness weigh two tons<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">but find lightness knowing I'm not alone. <o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To lose trust in so-called-friends and neighbors,<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">but find faith in those more mindfully close.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To want better in some tomorrow to come,<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">someday <o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">beyond this day<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">whenever that time might come,<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">These are my pleas, my promises to self, my solemn prayer;<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">To whatever God or gods might be listening this dark morning.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><br></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Drew Lanham</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"> </p><div><br></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"> </p></div></body></html>