<html aria-label="message body"><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-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">Slow Down</font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;"> </font></p><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">Where has wisdom fled?</font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">She is running along the rows of ripening maize</font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">crying and laughing.</font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;"> </font></p><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">She’s right there, inside<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">each of our kernels.</font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;"> </font></p><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">Fruit picked too soon leaves a sour taste—</font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">needs patience, restraint.</font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;"> </font></p><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">You want to scream, rage, do<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">something—anything.</font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;"> </font></p><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">Watch the bees at work,<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">the spider weave her web.</font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;"> </font></p><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">Cook with love.</font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;"> </font></p><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">Turn to her</font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">so she may turn to you.</font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;"><br></font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Raphael Block</font></div></div></body></html>