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So many of the other beloved‘s have expressed what I felt both witnessing, and hearing this poem, recited live at the equinox. Not to mention having the opportunity to read it again.
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<div> I am so moved by your gift to paint a canvas of imagery for the mind’s eye of what the soul and spirit is experiencing in form, in the moment… </div>
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<div>Especially loved your confession of thinking you were going to start a poem with a certain tone and intention…</div>
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<div> Appreciate your honesty and authenticity around the truth of being present in the moment to what is unfolding, what it takes to catch these poems of yours 👏🏽🥳</div>
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<div> 🙏🏼😘🫶Sue<br>
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<div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPad</div>
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<blockquote type="cite">On Mar 22, 2023, at 3:40 PM, lee michel alley via Thespiritexpress <thespiritexpress@lists.mcn.org> wrote:<br>
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<div dir="ltr"> Toni,
<div class="">Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful poem ! I would have loved to hear you read it, but I “hear” you speak through your written words and am glad to start the season with them dancing through my thoughts!</div>
<div class="">With love,</div>
<div class="">Lee<br class="">
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<div class="">On Mar 21, 2023, at 7:11 PM, D. Sangraal via Thespiritexpress <<a href="mailto:thespiritexpress@lists.mcn.org" class="">thespiritexpress@lists.mcn.org</a>> wrote:</div>
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<div dir="ltr" class="">Such hope, beauty and love. I am fed and nurtured by your expressions Toni.
<div class="">Thank you.</div>
<div class="">D.</div>
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<div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, Mar 20, 2023 at 9:49 PM Toni Bernbaum via Thespiritexpress <<a href="mailto:thespiritexpress@lists.mcn.org" class="">thespiritexpress@lists.mcn.org</a>> wrote:<br class="">
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<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks to those who requested another look/see at the poem I read at the Equinox Ceremony. Thank you ALL who were able to attend. What a sweet night it was.</p>
<div class="">With love and all blessings, Toni</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="font-size:14px" class="">SPRING AT MY TOES ON THE HAUL ROAD<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class=""> </span><span style="font-size:14px" class="">I saw my first snake of the season</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">out walking with bright air along the ocean,<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">searching for whale spouts<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">and answers to deep questions<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">but instead, here <u class="">
</u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">at my feet, the long rope
<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">of a slender shape <u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">lays quiet and still, <u class="">
</u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">though slightly coiled<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">enough to quicken my heart<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">in the mystery of its presence.
<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<div class=""><span style="font-size:14px" class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">And I knew, even as it wiggled into the grass<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">and disappeared<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">as if it never gave me its gift,<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">that it did. As it has every year,<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">when the snake shows herself to me,
<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">like the shock of sudden snowy plum blossoms<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">in our back yard, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">spring has officially awakened<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">beneath my skin, <u class="">
</u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">quivering with the bend of longer days </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class=""> I am reminded again</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">of the mystery of things,
<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">the cycles of how seasons change
<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">and the remembering of spring,<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">to be the open invitation,<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">to be wild again<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">renewed and bursting<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class=""> like the earth herself.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<div class=""><span style="font-size:14px" class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">After this long wet winter of forgetting,<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">Out I wiggle, breaking the egg of old lazy habits,
<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">I rise with the daffodils<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">open the heart of my golden cup to fill<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">with new light of my own being.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">I am all at once again encouraged
<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">to renew my vow<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">to greet again each day,
<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">the promise of birthing<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">holy precious possibilities,
<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">to meet the greeting of the loyal dawn
<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">blessed by its renewal<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">curious and excited as to what might emerge
<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class="">from this love…..blossoming<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14px" class=""> as me. </span><font size="4" class=""><u class=""></u><u class=""></u></font></p>
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