<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><br class=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><br class=""><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">Bonfires on the Beach <span class=""></span></div><div style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span style="font-size:10pt" class="">2022-2023<span class=""></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""> </span><span class=""></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">Contemplating the fire<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">on the last day of the Old year<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">I behold the burning inside the fearful <span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">suffering mind, <span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">the flame of generations<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">that created fear, pain and anger. <span class=""></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">I witness the blaze of invention<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">birthing worlds with love<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">and destroying them with greed;<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">that violent fire suffocating our time.<span class=""></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">Smoke smothers me,<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">tears run down <span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">and on the first day of the New year<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">my eyes go silent.<span class=""></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">I begin a slow pensive ascent<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">into a continuous coming into being,<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">the word of Love suddenly plain <span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">for me to see<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">in the fire<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">and in everything around me.<span class=""></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">Each creation I behold<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">spells a divine word, <span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">words are strung into sentences<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">sentences into scripts<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">proclaiming the joy of being,<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">the joy of knowing<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">that to be is <span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">sacred<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">to live is <span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">holy.<span class=""></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">I behold<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">that indigenous fire ignited <span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">over and over<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">illuminating the faces of <span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">mother and father<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">sister and brother <span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">with love<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">and the immense energies <span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">of the universe<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">whisper of a future <span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">that heals the past.<span class=""></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">The fire slowly burns down<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">as I fall into dormancy.<span class="">
</span><span class=""></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">I become ember<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">I become ash<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">I disappear into a dream<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">that has no beginning<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">no end.<span class=""></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">All of what I am<span class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">is a blessing.<span class=""></span></div>
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