<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;">Seer<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></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;">I catch sight of a figure</font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">in a fissure within the body</font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">of an old oak,</font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">praying, hands together,<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">a smile upon its face.</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;">Revealed by the crumbling, broken</font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">wood, it gazes into a vast distance</font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">as if reading its ways, branches<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">yet to leaf, a few of last year’s<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">leaves still clinging.</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;">The blossoms of a sapling plum</font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">close to the oak’s base shine white.</font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">The figure draws me round again.</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;"><i><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">Come see what I can see.</font></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><i><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">I live and die within this tree.</font></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><i><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">Worlds burn, and I’m reborn.</font></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><i><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">Your worry is so human,</font></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><i><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">if not wise. It lays a path of caring<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></font></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><i><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">for others to pick up its scent.</font></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><i><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;"> </font></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><i><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">Under the oaks’ boughs,<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></font></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><i><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">I find contentment.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></font></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><i><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">The lion hungers. The lion waits.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></font></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">The figure falls silent<i></i></font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">and will not be coaxed.</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;">A careworn face of ancient years</font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">in repose, watching long lines</font></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 16px;"><font size="5" style="font-size: 22px;">of honking geese fly in.</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>