<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://allpoetry.com/poem/13931082-The-Mortal-Sin-by-AndrewQ" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 24pt; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: rgb(141, 56, 0); text-decoration: none;">The Mortal Sin</span></a><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(20, 24, 35);"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(20, 24, 35);">Author unknown<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(20, 24, 35);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(20, 24, 35);">Who nature shapes as one in ten,<br>has no less right than other men,<br>to live and love and be carefree,<br>not hide as pious men decree.<br><br>For no such law was ever right,<br>the nine in ten don't own the night,<br>our world is what we say it is,<br>it's time we said it's also his.<br><br>Those one in ten who bathed in shame,<br>whose love had dared not speak its name,<br>but stand now proud of who they are,<br>reminding us we've come so far.<br><br>But farther yet we still must go,<br>let us not rest until we know<br>that every corner of this Earth<br>counts every man of equal worth.<br><br>So let the nine be joined with one,<br>a man no less, a mother's son,<br>and never let dividers win,<br>for therein lies the mortal sin.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><br></div>————————————————-<br><br><div 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><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">http://www.MoscowCares.net</span></div><div><br></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><br></div><div>“A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met.”</div><div>- Roy E. Stolworthy</div><div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>