<div dir="ltr"><div> WONDERFUL Poem...prescient </div><div><a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/147275/a-litany-for-survival?fbclid=IwAR3fOWz9Za9RCELoym8MH5oZvZq3TVzGcXAEFnMGI68TjN-7Q5Up4QQR32g">https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/147275/a-litany-for-survival?fbclid=IwAR3fOWz9Za9RCELoym8MH5oZvZq3TVzGcXAEFnMGI68TjN-7Q5Up4QQR32g</a> <br></div><div><br></div><div class="gmail-c-tier gmail-c-mix-tier_offsetAsymmetricalShort" style="margin:0px;padding:26px 0px 40px;border:0px;font-size:22px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><div class="gmail-o-article-bd" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><div class="gmail-o-vr gmail-o-vr_9x" style="margin:0px 0px 45px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><div class="gmail-o-grid" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><div class="gmail-o-grid-col gmail-o-grid-col_9of12 gmail-o-mix-grid-col_offset1of12" style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 83.5px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;box-sizing:border-box;float:left;width:726.484px"><div class="gmail-o-vr gmail-o-vr_12x" style="margin:0px 0px 60px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><div class="gmail-c-feature" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:1.231"><div class="gmail-c-feature-hd" style="margin:0px 0px 4px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><h1 class="gmail-c-hdgSans gmail-c-hdgSans_2 gmail-c-mix-hdgSans_inline" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:1.75rem;font-style:inherit;font-family:canada-type-gibson;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0);display:inline;line-height:1.231">A Litany for Survival</h1></div><div class="gmail-c-feature-sub gmail-c-feature-sub_vast" style="margin:0px 0px 33px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><span class="gmail-c-txt gmail-c-txt_attribution" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:0.875rem;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:canada-type-gibson;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(73,73,73);display:inline-block;letter-spacing:1.4px;text-transform:uppercase">BY <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/audre-lorde" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)">AUDRE LORDE</a></span></div></div><div class="gmail-c-feature-bd" style="margin:0px 0px 40px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:1.25rem;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:adobe-garamond-pro;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0);line-height:1.3"><div class="gmail-o-poem gmail-isActive" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">For those of us who live at the shoreline<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">standing upon the constant edges of decision<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">crucial and alone<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">for those of us who cannot indulge<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">the passing dreams of choice<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">who love in doorways coming and going<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">in the hours between dawns<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">looking inward and outward<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">at once before and after<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">seeking a now that can breed<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">futures<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">like bread in our children’s mouths<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">so their dreams will not reflect<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">the death of ours;<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"> <br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">For those of us<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">who were imprinted with fear<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">like a faint line in the center of our foreheads<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">learning to be afraid with our mother’s milk<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">for by this weapon<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">this illusion of some safety to be found<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">the heavy-footed hoped to silence us<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">For all of us<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">this instant and this triumph<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">We were never meant to survive.<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"> <br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">And when the sun rises we are afraid<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">it might not remain<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">when the sun sets we are afraid<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">it might not rise in the morning<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">when our stomachs are full we are afraid<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">of indigestion<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">when our stomachs are empty we are afraid<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">we may never eat again<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">when we are loved we are afraid<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">love will vanish<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">when we are alone we are afraid<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">love will never return<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">and when we speak we are afraid<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">our words will not be heard<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">nor welcomed<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">but when we are silent<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">we are still afraid<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"> <br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">So it is better to speak<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">remembering<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">we were never meant to survive.<br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 1em;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><br></div></div></div></div></div><div class="gmail-o-grid" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><div class="gmail-o-grid-col gmail-o-grid-col_10of12" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;box-sizing:border-box;float:left;width:533.063px"><div class="gmail-o-vr_2x" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><span class="gmail-c-txt gmail-c-txt_note gmail-c-txt_note_mini" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:0.9375rem;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:canada-type-gibson;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(118,118,118);display:inline-block;line-height:1.3">"A Litany for Survival." Copyright © 1978 by Audre Lorde, from <em style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde </em>by Audre Lorde. Copyright © 1997 by the Audre Lorde Estate. Used by permission of W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.</span></div><div class="gmail-o-vr_4x" style="margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><ul class="gmail-c-socialBlocks gmail-c-socialBlocks_shrinkWrapped" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:1px solid rgb(226,226,226);font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;display:inline-flex"><li style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/147275/a-litany-for-survival?fbclid=IwAR3fOWz9Za9RCELoym8MH5oZvZq3TVzGcXAEFnMGI68TjN-7Q5Up4QQR32g#" class="gmail-js-shareTwitter" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0);display:flex;height:40px;width:40px"></a></li><li style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border-width:0px 0px 0px 1px;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:initial;border-left-style:solid;border-top-color:initial;border-right-color:initial;border-bottom-color:initial;border-left-color:rgb(226,226,226);font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/147275/a-litany-for-survival?fbclid=IwAR3fOWz9Za9RCELoym8MH5oZvZq3TVzGcXAEFnMGI68TjN-7Q5Up4QQR32g#" class="gmail-js-shareFB" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0);display:flex;height:40px;width:40px"></a></li><li style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border-width:0px 0px 0px 1px;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:initial;border-left-style:solid;border-top-color:initial;border-right-color:initial;border-bottom-color:initial;border-left-color:rgb(226,226,226);font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/147275/a-litany-for-survival?fbclid=IwAR3fOWz9Za9RCELoym8MH5oZvZq3TVzGcXAEFnMGI68TjN-7Q5Up4QQR32g#" class="gmail-js-sharePrint" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0);display:flex;height:40px;width:40px"></a></li><li style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border-width:0px 0px 0px 1px;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:initial;border-left-style:solid;border-top-color:initial;border-right-color:initial;border-bottom-color:initial;border-left-color:rgb(226,226,226);font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><a href="mailto:?subject=Poetry%20Foundation&body=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/147275/a-litany-for-survival?fbclid=IwAR3fOWz9Za9RCELoym8MH5oZvZq3TVzGcXAEFnMGI68TjN-7Q5Up4QQR32g" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0);display:flex;height:40px;width:40px"></a></li></ul></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="gmail-c-tier gmail-c-mix-tier_offset" style="margin:0px;padding:40px 0px;border:0px;font-size:22px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><div class="gmail-o-tabPanel" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><div class="gmail-o-tabPanel-hd" style="margin:0px 0px 37px;padding:0px;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:solid;border-left-style:initial;border-top-color:initial;border-right-color:initial;border-bottom-color:rgb(154,154,154);border-left-color:initial;font-family:adobe-garamond-pro;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><ul class="gmail-o-triggerList" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;display:flex"><li style="margin:0px auto;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><button class="gmail-c-btn gmail-c-btn_trigger gmail-c-mix-btn_blocked gmail-isActive" style="letter-spacing:0.04em;overflow:hidden;display:block;border-top:none rgb(0,0,0);border-right:none rgb(0,0,0);border-bottom:7px solid rgb(0,0,0);border-left:none rgb(0,0,0);border-radius:0px;margin:0px;padding:24px 40px;vertical-align:middle;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:canada-type-gibson;font-size:1.375rem;font-weight:600;line-height:1.231;outline:0px;width:163.125px">Related</button></li></ul></div><div class="gmail-o-tabPanel-bd" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-family:adobe-garamond-pro;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><div class="gmail-o-tabPanel-panel gmail-isActive" id="gmail-tab-related" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><ul class="gmail-o-sectionList gmail-o-sectionList_minimal" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none"><li style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><ul class="gmail-o-graphBlocks gmail-o-graphBlocks_2up@xsmall gmail-o-graphBlocks_3up@medium" style="padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;box-sizing:border-box;display:flex"><li style="margin:0px;padding:30px 0px 0px 60px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;box-sizing:border-box;display:flex;max-width:33.3333%"><div class="gmail-o-card gmail-o-card_stretch" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;width:275.656px;display:flex"><div class="gmail-o-card-bd" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><div class="gmail-c-feature" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:1.231"><br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline"></div></div></div></li></ul></li></ul></div></div></div></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p><span></span></p><div dir="ltr"><b><font face="georgia, serif" color="#000000" size="4">“The daily activity that contributes most to happiness is having dinner with friends. The daily activity that detracts most from happiness is commuting. Eat more. Commute less.<span>”</span></font></b></div><div><font color="#000000" face="georgia, serif"><b><br></b></font></div><div><font color="#000000" face="georgia, serif"><b> David Brooks</b></font></div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div style="border-top:none;border-right:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:1pt solid rgb(234,234,234);padding:0in 0in 15pt;margin-left:0.25in;margin-right:0in"><div><br></div></div><div dir="ltr">
<div dir="ltr"><h1 style="margin:0px 0px 15px;color:rgb(24,24,24);font-weight:normal;padding:0px;font-size:14px;font-family:Merriweather,Georgia,serif;line-height:21px"><span></span></h1></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>