<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span></span></div><div><div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="b9i04-0-0"><div data-offset-key="b9i04-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="b9i04-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>“The Dash Poem” </b>by Linda Ellis</span></div><div data-offset-key="b9i04-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="b9i04-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="bap6u-0-0"><div data-offset-key="bap6u-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="bap6u-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="b0fa0-0-0"><div data-offset-key="b0fa0-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="b0fa0-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I read of a man who stood to speak </span></div><div data-offset-key="b0fa0-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="b0fa0-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">At the funeral of a friend. </span></div><div data-offset-key="b0fa0-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="b0fa0-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He referred to the dates on her tombstone </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="5fsb9-0-0"><div data-offset-key="5fsb9-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="5fsb9-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">From the beginning to the end.</span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="28e9j-0-0"><div data-offset-key="28e9j-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="28e9j-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br data-text="true"></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="bq8rr-0-0"><div data-offset-key="bq8rr-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="bq8rr-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> He noted that first came the date of her birth </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="9c5q7-0-0"><div data-offset-key="9c5q7-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="9c5q7-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And spoke of the following date with tears, </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="32rkj-0-0"><div data-offset-key="32rkj-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="32rkj-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But he said what mattered most of all </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="92sor-0-0"><div data-offset-key="92sor-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="92sor-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Was the dash between those years.</span></div><div data-offset-key="92sor-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="92sor-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="7oskr-0-0"><div data-offset-key="7oskr-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="7oskr-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="dp2ft-0-0"><div data-offset-key="dp2ft-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="dp2ft-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For that dash represents all the time </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="8impm-0-0"><div data-offset-key="8impm-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="8impm-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">That she spent alive on earth </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="8hfa3-0-0"><div data-offset-key="8hfa3-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="8hfa3-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And now only those who loved her </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="8pqme-0-0"><div data-offset-key="8pqme-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="8pqme-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Know what that little line is worth.</span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="oenn-0-0"><div data-offset-key="oenn-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="oenn-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br data-text="true"></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="9ts4k-0-0"><div data-offset-key="9ts4k-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="9ts4k-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> For it matters not, how much we own, </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="49ce4-0-0"><div data-offset-key="49ce4-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="49ce4-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The cars, the house, the cash, </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="kgg4-0-0"><div data-offset-key="kgg4-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="kgg4-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What matters is how we live and love </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="7f5qs-0-0"><div data-offset-key="7f5qs-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="7f5qs-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And how we spend our dash.</span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="7f7s5-0-0"><div data-offset-key="7f7s5-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="7f7s5-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br data-text="true"></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="8q79b-0-0"><div data-offset-key="8q79b-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="8q79b-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> So think about this long and hard; </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="38r3a-0-0"><div data-offset-key="38r3a-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="38r3a-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Are there things you'd like to change? </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="7apgb-0-0"><div data-offset-key="7apgb-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="7apgb-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For you never know how much time is left </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="a8qui-0-0"><div data-offset-key="a8qui-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="a8qui-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">That can still be rearranged.</span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="br86t-0-0"><div data-offset-key="br86t-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="br86t-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br data-text="true"></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="6arqs-0-0"><div data-offset-key="6arqs-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="6arqs-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> If we could just slow down enough </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="ag8af-0-0"><div data-offset-key="ag8af-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="ag8af-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">To consider what's true and real </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="8dvm5-0-0"><div data-offset-key="8dvm5-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="8dvm5-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And always try to understand </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="fubi3-0-0"><div data-offset-key="fubi3-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="fubi3-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The way other people feel.</span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="8gdbg-0-0"><div data-offset-key="8gdbg-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="8gdbg-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br data-text="true"></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="7lt5h-0-0"><div data-offset-key="7lt5h-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="7lt5h-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> And be less quick to anger </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="8jps1-0-0"><div data-offset-key="8jps1-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="8jps1-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And show appreciation more </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="bu9i2-0-0"><div data-offset-key="bu9i2-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="bu9i2-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And love the people in our lives </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="3m0hn-0-0"><div data-offset-key="3m0hn-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="3m0hn-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Like we've never loved before.</span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="mb22-0-0"><div data-offset-key="mb22-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="mb22-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br data-text="true"></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="6f3m3-0-0"><div data-offset-key="6f3m3-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="6f3m3-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> If we treat each other with respect </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="16h6c-0-0"><div data-offset-key="16h6c-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="16h6c-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And more often wear a smile, </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="30hl0-0-0"><div data-offset-key="30hl0-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="30hl0-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Remembering that this special dash </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="blt9m-0-0"><div data-offset-key="blt9m-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="blt9m-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Might only last a little while.</span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="6l8eb-0-0"><div data-offset-key="6l8eb-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="6l8eb-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br data-text="true"></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="dukil-0-0"><div data-offset-key="dukil-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="dukil-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So when your eulogy is being read </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="3dt65-0-0"><div data-offset-key="3dt65-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="3dt65-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With your life's actions to rehash </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="1mm3p-0-0"><div data-offset-key="1mm3p-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="1mm3p-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Would you be proud of the things they say </span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="7t1ti-0-0"><div data-offset-key="7t1ti-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="7t1ti-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">About how you spent your dash?</span></div><div data-offset-key="7t1ti-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="7t1ti-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div data-offset-key="7t1ti-0-0" class="_1mf _1mj" style="position: relative; direction: ltr;"><span data-offset-key="7t1ti-0-0" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">--------------------------------</span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9p0l2" data-offset-key="49gq-0-0"></div><br><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div> </div></div></div></body></html>