<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: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Tangerine Song<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">I had no idea how sweet it would be, that tangerine, small <o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">in my husband’s large hands as he peeled and ate the<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">autumnal citrus, smacking too loudly<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">sprawled on the faded olive drab couch in my office<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">snuggled under the crimson, cobalt and marigold<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">cats woven into the Laurel Burch blanket -<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"> in my space, during my quiet time to write<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">I remembered then, our dear orange tabby<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">buried 20 feet away three weeks before<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">my niece diagnosed two weeks ago with stage 4 cancer, <o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">my dear friend’s husband who died yesterday. <o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Then, that tangerine, <o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">so bright in its tangy, juicy <o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">lip-smacking song<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">filled me with such gratitude <o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">as it filled him with life-giving nutrients<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">in its orange glow of joy<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Sally Churgel</div></div></body></html>