<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><span></span></div><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div dir="ltr"><span></span></div><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div dir="ltr"><span></span></div><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div><div><b>“The Outside, Wondrous World” </b>by Pat A. Fleming</div><div><br></div><div>The world outside is a wondrous place,</div><div>Filled with many miracles to see.</div><div>It's a place to hear and smell and feel.</div><div>It's a place so unfettered and free.</div><div><br></div><div>From the welcome warmth of the morning sun,</div><div>As it plays upon your eyes,</div><div>Enticing you from your slumber</div><div>To awaken and come alive.</div><div><br></div><div>Or the gentle touch of an Autumn breeze,</div><div>As it chills and caresses your face,</div><div>Beckoning you to start your day</div><div>And let go of the night's embrace.</div><div><br></div><div>The sound of the birds as they twitter and sing,</div><div>Still nestled in the warmth of the trees.</div><div>Soon they will lift their wings in flight,</div><div>Shooed away by the fluttering leaves.</div><div><br></div><div>To smell that earthy, Autumn air,</div><div>As you step outside and breathe.</div><div>To hear that steady, familiar crunch,</div><div>As you wade through the dried, dead leaves.</div><div><br></div><div>To look up and get lost in a ceiling-less sky,</div><div>Deep blue or an ominous grey.</div><div>Squinting against the brightest of suns,</div><div>Or getting soaked by a sudden, cold rain.</div><div><br></div><div>To feel beads of sweat on your clammy face,</div><div>In the heat of a blistering day.</div><div>Then submerge in a river that seeps through your skin,</div><div>Dousing the fire in your veins.</div><div><br></div><div>To trudge through the deepest, blistering snow,</div><div>As the ice stings your rosy red cheeks.</div><div>To smell all the fireplaces burning,</div><div>As those faint of heart retreat. </div><div><br></div><div>To see your breath float on the air,</div><div>As your toes and fingers freeze.</div><div>And witness an icy, white blanket of snow,</div><div>Just as far as you can see.</div><div><br></div><div>The snowflakes falling harder now,</div><div>The earth is in a blur.</div><div>Your clothes feel damp and heavier,</div><div>Your speech begins to slur.</div><div><br></div><div>Yes, the outside is a wondrous place,</div><div>A world of beauty and brawn.</div><div>It's independent but so reliable.</div><div>It's vulnerable and yet so strong.</div><div><br></div><div>Remember the smell of the summer flowers,</div><div>With bright colors all around?</div><div>Deep green lawns and the aroma of grass,</div><div>Trees plush with leaves abound.</div><div><br></div><div>The ocean's glistening, thundering waves,</div><div>The gritty, infinite sands.</div><div>The forests of trees that reach up to the sky,</div><div>The mountains that tower over the land.</div><div><br></div><div>The outside world is an endless place.</div><div>It shows us how small we can be.</div><div>It can nurture and comfort our troubled hearts.</div><div>It can grant us sweet moments of peace. </div><div><br></div><div>If you take the time to really see,</div><div>The outside is a glorious place.</div><div>And how lucky we are that this Paradise,</div><div>Is only a few steps away.</div></div><div><br></div>———————————————<br><br><div id="AppleMailSignature" dir="ltr"><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><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“You’re a Mean One, Mr. Trump”</span></div><div><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Songs/Donald_Trump/Youre_a_Mean_One_Mr_Trump.mp3">http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Songs/Donald_Trump/Youre_a_Mean_One_Mr_Trump.mp3</a></div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>