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Falling into Fall

Falling into Fall

Relaxing into the flow of it

The know of it

Even if parts of it

remain unknown.

Unknowable

Indefatigable

Unreasonable

Unseasonably

able

capable

allowable

receivable

welcomed within

with

thankfulness

and

peace.

Subliminal

in the liminal

Folding into the inner,

inter lands

Okay, your turn:

What is it about Autumn (also known as Fall) that you welcome into your experience with heart and arms wide open? What is it about this season (besides an overabundance of pumpkin spice, ha!), that you could do without? What does it mean to allow truly the leaves to change their color without resistance? Is there something you’re trying to ‘hold on to’ beyond its natural time?

I invite you to share your observations, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2022 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.

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Against the grain

Against the grain

I remain

in the main

stream

between the tall stalks

of sugar cane

Raising Cain

a ruckus

within the maze

of maize

In the plain

and with

airplanes

overhead

overheard

in vain

against the vein

of my heart

a disdain

for the fast lane

in rain

makes for a chance

to rein in

the reign

of terror

It’s a changing

of the weather

Looking at the weather vane

atop

the local church

that had stood

the test of time

and pain

for those who dared

to go against

the grain

Cutting across

the valley

of loss

and moss

that only grows on one side

the North side

Which side are you on?

Of convention?

Nonconvention?

Okay, your turn:

Whether it be social norms, institutional ones, or political ones — where do you draw the line? For yourself? Your community? Your country? Does it depend? And if so, in what way(s)?

I invite you to share your observations, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2022 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.
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I observe, I experience

I observe

I see

I am

You are

We are

one.

Passing through

this lifetime

Birth Death

Birth Death

Neither of these

do we choose

Both do we experience

In-between

is up to each of us.

Explorers

Adventurers

Beyond the mind

Beyond the pale

Of that which we tend to hail

Mental constructs

Personality conflicts

All at the expense of what

is directly in front of us.

Did you miss it?

Live today as if it’s your favorite birthday!

Light the candles

Sing

Party like it’s

nobody’s business.


Life is truly

a gift

Accept it with glee and satisfaction

As if you picked it out for your very self


Remember to enjoy the ride

As you never know when the ride

will stop.

Around we go!

Okay, your turn:

When is the last time you got lost in time? Could it be today? Tomorrow? Every day?

I invite you to share your observations, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2022 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.
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The trees provide

  • Sequoia Trees in Kings Canyon National Park | California – Photo © Lori A. Noonan 2022

The trees provide

without prompting

without expectation

for one

for all

of us

to prosper.

The rocks endure

the passage of time

and wayward travelers

lost inside.

  • Ascending Moro Rock | Sequoia National Park – Photo © Sarah Storey 2022

The rocks ask no questions

  • Ascending the Top of Moro Rock | Sequoia National Park – Photo © Sarah Storey 2022

The rocks tell no lies

The peaks await your arrival

your ascent

your stay for awhile

to admire the view

and take in the breeze

that swells around you

holding you in place

if only but for a moment or two

in time and space

and then descend

you must

along the way

the very way you came up

with a different view this time

and an awe-filled heart

all the same

all the way

down the mountain.

The trees wave

as you step by step

walk by

all the way down.

At the base, the ground says

hello

welcome back

how’d it go?

Okay, your turn:

Having spent the weekend in the Sierras with a supportive, wonderfully playful, and wildly creative group of co-adventurers who like to hike, I couldn’t help but share with you a poem that I was inspired to write as part of that experience. What in nature speaks to you?

I invite you to share your observations, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2022 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.

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Shooting for the fences

Truth or consequences

Shooting for the fences

the defenseless

Tragedy

from the confines

of a troubled mind

with no mind

for the memories

of Columbine

And so many others

Who’s next in line?

Heartless

cruelty

inflicting pain

on purpose

without purpose

in any redeemable way

Which is all to say

that evil bleeds

through in the most unfathomable ways

that stay

beyond measure

and at the cost

of true treasure.

For your consideration:

Okay, your turn:

What, if anything, will you do differently to help heal your heart and our hurting world today? And, how about tomorrow? And, the day after that?

I invite you to share your observations, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2022 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.
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In the quiet

In the quiet

the sound sounds louder

In the darkness

the light lights brighter

Can you hear it?

Can you see it?

You can

You can

You certainly

can, can

Dance

the can-can

Spring has sprung!

into a new moon

and into soon

the merry merriment

of

Beltane.

High kicks

galore!

Okay, your turn:

What excites you about this time of year? What brings you joy?

I invite you to share your observations, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2022 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.

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To bow

To bow

to the true wisdom

within

and all around

us

You,

me,

and

we.

Is to…

Welcome in

and accept

the protection

The mighty,

mighty

protection

that abounds

Preserving the life force

of course

to stay the course

of the journey

into

Oneness.

For your consideration:

Protection is often defined and described as shielding from harm, and keeping oneself or others safe.

What about living in a way that builds-in protection, whether that be physically or emotionally? Before our more recent trend toward group classes in the United States such as “Power Yoga” that has turned ancient spiritually enhanced (along with body-based) practices into a more modernized “high intensity workout,” yoga traditionally has served for millennia as a way to bolster our life force, our very source energy – all in a more holistic way.  (For more on this, see an earlier edition of Soul Notes, here.)

For me, mantras and mudras combined with physical movements help protect me and in turn help me to bring my full energy to my life, colleagues, loved ones, and the greater community I serve.

Okay, your turn:

What say you? Which approach do you take in your own life? What works best for you? Have you been experimenting with different approaches to preserve, replenish, and refresh your physical and emotional health?

I invite you to share your observations, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2022 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.

 

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Sanctions

Money and

other economic

sanctions

Designed to and do

hit right in the deep pockets

of one man’s

autocratic

destructive impulses

 

Global banking system

shuts down invisible borders

Invisible access

in a manner

not possible

80 years

ago

 

Sanctions to restrain

the dictatorial power employed by a

singular

Head of State

in a state

of an unfettered dominance

Power not shared

Not among the people

Not on behalf of the people

But rather at the cost

Of the people

Their lives

And their livelihoods

For your consideration:

One man’s tyrannical actions have been met with a collective resistance. Rather than succumb to unprovoked aggression, the people of Ukraine and across the world have unified in a way perhaps most unexpected. In this, there is hope. Economic sanctions help.

Okay, your turn:

In what way, if at all, do you feel a shared sense of kinship with those who are left to suffer at the hands of an erratic and egomaniacal enemy? Do you agree with economic sanctions as an effective tactic? Does our current world of cyberbanking increase the effectiveness?

I invite you to share your observations, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2022 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.

 

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From emptiness good things come

Emptiness

Emptiness

In the void

The void holds all

Full,

Pregnant with potential

Ready to spring forth from the protection of the darkness

Feels exciting

And nervy

Both on the same thin edge

An electrifying jolt

buzzing

Everything you need contained and held within the shell

as you begin to crack through the lining

and out into the open light

Ignited

and free to rise above

the surface

and

receive all the offerings

For your consideration:

Does the dark feel comfortable to you? I suppose it depends on the situation. For me, looking up at a clear night’s sky can be wonderfully mesmerizing. Walking out to my car at night on a nearly empty street without streetlights, not so much.

And for me, the darkest part of the year can leave me feeling a bit glum at best, and downright anxious at worst. As humans, we like many animals, however, benefit from the protective cover that Winter brings. And not unlike a baby bird, we are born out from a dark place that holds all we need to bring with us to survive out in the world, out into the daylight. May we (I) remember that, again and again.

Okay, your turn:

In what ways do you resist darkness? If what ways do you embrace it?

I invite you to share your observations, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2022 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.

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Give it a frame

Give it a frame

Give it a frame

through which to view

the year

your year

ahead

Never the same

as what may have come

of the year drawing

to a close

May it no longer be tamed

nor reduced to a simple game

To be repeated

ever more

or less so tame

and lame

as to be unwittingly turned away

from all the possibilities

that bring you joy

For your consideration:

When I was the Features editor for my school newspaper, I took great care in selecting from among the many photographs submitted by the photographers, paring down to the very few that most captured the emotions of the moment. The Sports editor, not surprisingly, focused on selecting the most dynamic action shots. It was with intention and a devotion to the story.

The same process can be applied to the new year. As you review all that was (and wasn’t) 2021, what are you bringing with you into 2022, and what are you leaving behind?

I encourage you to give yourself the opportunity to put a frame around the new year. As you would with a painting or a photograph, what are you choosing to put within the frame? What are you bringing into clear focus by framing it as such? And, by design, what are you thereby leaving outside the frame?

Put another way, we speak of the “framers of the Constitution.” The founding fathers — alas no founding mothers at least not officially — deliberately and with intention decided what would be included in, and excluded from, the nation’s foundational charter. (For more on that, follow this link to a previous edition of Soul Notes here.)

It makes a difference where you place the frame.

Okay, your turn:

What is it about the turning of the calendar from one year to the next that excites you? Anything about it that actually instead drives you a bit batty?

Do you approach each year with intention? If not, will you do so this year? Are you willing to give it a try?

I invite you to share your observations, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2022 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.

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