<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;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Deep in the Forest<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; line-height: normal; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">May you rest evermore<br>in the deep forest—<br>where the strangeness of life<br>cannot reach you,<br>where you have given your flesh<br>to sprout and continue<br>life’s pulse.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; line-height: normal; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">As your body rests,<br>your soul is now free to wander.<br>Do you return to loved ones?<br>Do you visit?<br>Only time will tell<br>if the effort of living is circular.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; line-height: normal; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Still, in my heart you dwell,<br>so I leave things as they are <br>and call all forests your home,<br>each bird’s song, your voice,<br>every rose that greets me, your gift,<br>and know that spring has come <br>reminding me to love the beauty<br>and strangeness and torment of life.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; line-height: normal; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; line-height: normal; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Sherrie Lovler</p></div></body></html>