catnipoflife

There is an essence of energy in all life. Within the interconnectedness of all living things is a vital force or energy that permeates the natural world. If we turn the calendar back to examine indigenous cultures and ancient times, the belief existed that a universal life force or energy flows through all living beings and natural elements.

Nature is often considered a profound source of this life energy. The idea is that spending time in natural settings, such as forests, mountains, or near bodies of water, allows individuals to absorb and resonate with this vital force. There is a parallel to this idea within the Japanese culture with the practice of “forest bathing”, which is strongly linked to lowering blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones. This shines a bright light on nature as being therapeutic and rejuvenating.

Nurture your spirit with time in the natural world. Nature is often depicted as being a calming place, building a sense of resilience, and providing a sense of hope. It is also a place of mystery, intrigue, and enchantment. Even on mornings that begin with dense fog and misty rain, there is a sense of mysticism and magic.

Misty Morning Fog*

Step outside on a foggy morning and you are standing in a low cloud settled in over the earth. The dense mist cloaks everything in sight with tiny water droplets. As ghostly apparitions appear, imagination follows. Dappled sunlight leaves you with a sense of mysticism.

Images appear subdued
Amidst the dense, pesky fog
Fondly kissed by stratus clouds
Disturbed by a croaking frog

Figures in the far distance
Emit varying shadowy hues
A tone so melancholy
Reminiscent of ol’ country blues

Uppermost mountain peaks
Obscured by the thick fog’s bed
Converge with sky’s splendor
Striking grey patterns overhead

Merely a touch of fog
Steamy haze in view
Evokes mystical thoughts
Chilling through ’n’ through

Silhouettes appear
Amid nature’s transformation|
Misty morning fog
Veils objects of fascination|

From the sky to the terrain
Scattering rays of sunlight drift
Semi-transparent colors emerge
As the fog doth slowly lift

“The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on.”

 — Carl Sandburg (U.S. biographer, poet, 1878–1967)

*Catnip of Life, #1 Amazon Bestseller, March 2023 https://www.catnipoflife.info

With the launch and availability to obtain a copy of the Catnip of Life comes time for feedback in the form of comments on social media and reviews. What I have been receiving has been a mixture of pluses and minuses, which is to be expected. Writing is an art and oftentimes the intent of the writer vs. that of the reader mismatches. Also, to be taken into consideration, are the multiple genres available for reading. Most people have a favorite author or genre.

Catnip of Life is poetry, a hard sell but an easy read. The second page of the book makes the theme of this book of poetic verses very clear: Your gateway to understanding Mother Nature’s footprints by Sharla Lee. The end of Catnip of Life is YOUR beginning as you hopefully walk in the footsteps of nature with a newly found perspective.

Bottom Line: Grab your copy of Catnip of Life! Understand it is a book of poetry devoted to bringing deeper consciousness and awareness of nature to the forefront and the impact Mother Nature has on human nature.

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Overall, my impression of Catnip of Life by Sharla Lee is that it is a beautifully written and well-formatted book of poetry that offers a thought-provoking and meditative experience for the reader. The focus on nature and the invitation to appreciate its beauty and connect with it is a refreshing reminder in our busy modern lives.

— Len Tien 2nd degree connection2ndSales Staff at Viettel Group

I am not a fan of poetry, but I was impressed by the beautiful graphics on the cover. After sampling the introduction pages and reading the review on OBC, I gained the impression that ‘Catnip of Life’ is very well-written with enormous attention to detail. This book of the day would be great for those who enjoy poetry, those who are just starting to explore this art form.

— Anna H. Education Consultant

One thing I like about poems is that they help us understand important themes in a simple and lovely manner. Although I am not keen on reading collection of poems, I might give this one a try.

— Selmug Voruma, Student at University Diego Portales

Review on Amazon from the United Kingdom

This has to be one of the most impressive books of poetry I have recently read. Sharla Lee’s motivational artistry imprints the soul. She observes with a calm keen eye and a quiet soul. Wisdom lifts the spirit—perceive with a listening call.

Be appreciated by your friends. Gift them a copy of this book: lyrics pulsing with such rhythm will become a blessing.

— Eliza E., United Kingdom

Review on Amazon from the US

Every poem in this collection reads exactly like a motivational poster hung eye-level across the toilet of your beachside AirB&B. Each of these delightfully repetitive verses (seriously, a person can only read the words “bird”, “tree”, and “Mother Nature” so many times). . .

— Bo

My Overall Takeaway: Thank you for taking the time to post a comment. If we were all lovers of the same genre of reading, where would be the diversity?

From the Catnip of Life:

Do you witness the splendor of a sunrise or face just another day?

SPLENDOR OF SUNRISE

It is morning. Just another day.
Or is it? How do you see it?
Rising early, sleeping late?
It’s all in how you begin it.

I arise with the sun
Etching depth into the hour
Promising, eventual
Wondrous, splendid power

The sunrise—

It’s gorgeous. It’s glorious.
It amplifies. It deifies.

Poetry Vs. Fiction

There are four major genres of literature: poetry, drama, nonfiction, and fiction. While poetry might be the first mentioned, it is not necessarily first choice. Poetry relishes in moments of time and space, keen observation, and acute listening in order to make sense of the world around us. It is very emotive usually in small doses, small moments, of minutiae. Fiction, for example, focuses more so on people and represents more of a character study. It can also be very emotive but in much larger doses with character sketches, scenes, and beginnings/endings of stories.

With fiction, we always seem to begin with the end in mind. Our thoughts wander throughout the reading as to what will happen next and how will it end. Poetry is different. A book of poetry can be read from its beginning page to the end. OR poems can be randomly selected according to the mood of the moment with a single poem being read over and over again garnering new emotions with each new reading. With fiction, it is what it is.