<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>The Tree Stood Where It Stood</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">by Clive Blake</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Just a young sapling</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">With an unhindered view,</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">It chose its position</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">And then grew where it grew.</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Just a singular tree,</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Not in a forest, copse or wood,</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Preferring its own company,</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">It stood where it stood.</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">A tree in its infancy</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Coping with life’s highs and lows,</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">It takes on all challenges</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">And it grows where it grows.</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Standing resolutely alone,</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">An independent tree,</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This somehow reminds,</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Reminds me of me.</span></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></body></html>