The Divine Artist
loves to play with her creations
Her designs are never fixed
not because she is dissatisfied
but because change is her way, her nature

Spend a day by the sea and watch
the wind, the surf, the light, the sand
Turn away one moment and notice
the foot prints
gone without a trace
The tidal pool
rippling and flowing
sparkling with light

I too am a landscape
of rippling tides and changing currents
I am not a fixed identity or role
though I feel it when others
believe this about me

I barely know myself
from one day to the next

The story you tell of me?
Washed away
like seaweed
or a stone

by Patrice Borst Ficken ©2021 Soul Care Connections

Arrival

It is time for me
to arrive at my own threshold
with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers
vibrating with color,
the sweetest, most comforting fragrance
Lavender, rose
maybe a hint of jasmine

All to say to the one
so in need of comfort
I am here
and have always been here for you

It is time to stop knocking on doors
that refuse me entry
whose reception is less than warm
or willing

Time to show up at my own door
To discover
the one always open
Waiting for me to stop
showing up in places
not meant for me

Not to wound or judge me
but to point me toward another direction
A different way
a different door

So that I may return to the one
I have been looking for
The one
who has always been waiting, watching
expecting my arrival

Ready to greet me with warm eyes
and open arms
to welcome my return
to where I have always belonged

by Patrice Borst Ficken ©2021 Soul Care Connections

The Truth of You

Let the breath in
let it gently lap
the shores of your heart
calming the rapid beat
steadying its rhythm
allowing energy
to ebb and flow
meandering in and out
over and under
and all around

Let the light in
dappled through leaves
on a shimmering afternoon
kissing face and forehead
warming the very core of being
without burning
like a soothing cup of tea
a loving embrace

Let deep peace in
like a quiet snowfall
soft fog settling
leaving its imprint
of hush and mist
moisture refreshing your lips

Let quiet joy in
a radiant fire in the heart
spreading to every fiber
filling, flowing
within and all around

The knowing
the truth of you

Just as it is

“Everything is waiting for you…” David Whyte

Arrive fully here
this hour, this day
this moment
as if you are not here already
as if your body has a choice

Why not join
your precious community
of cells, bones, ligaments
Feel the blood flow
the heart beat
feet firmly on the earth
Accept as given
it will all break your heart

Arrive fully to this moment
this word on the page
this very one
the one you would rather not write

It waits for you
longs for you to meet
with nothing less than
the fullness of everything
Nothing missing or partial
you as you are
right now

What do you hope to gain by holding back from the day
as if it does not quite meet your expectations
You say it should be different
Everything is falling apart
nothing like you planned

Isn’t that the point?
Why not embrace the uninvited guest?
Welcome the surprise you did not see coming
by offering your whole heart
to this new day

Everything in it
imperfectly perfect

Just as it is.

by Patrice Borst Ficken ©2021 Soul Care Connections

A Reflection Along the Inward Way

When discomfort arises
emotional, physical or mental
I need not run
from unpleasant sensations
or numb myself
with food, television -
external “medicine” I may perceive
as relief for the pain.

I ground myself instead
Feel my breath
Feel the earth below
and Divinity all around.
I touch the sensations,
the stream of thoughts
with my awareness.
I choose
to simply be with myself
as I am
Whatever calls for my attention
eases, relaxes.
I am well
All is well with me.

From: Reflections Along the Inward Way,
by Patrice Borst Ficken ©2021 Soul Care Connections

Soul Weaver

Soul Weaver sits at Her Wheel
Expert fingers gather the finest firmaments
Gold, silver, sapphire blue
Fine fibers barely visible
a glittering spider’s web
See how gently
She pulls apart each strand
how Her loom presses deep
into the bone marrow of sorrow
hallowing the heartache of suffering
All the while
She gathers
She spins
Her wheel turns
day after day
night after night
lifetime after lifetime
Is it possible to know Her ultimate Design?
Her Reason Why?
No, it is in the spinning,
the gathering,
the plucking of each string
the tender caress
of each costly, precious thread
how it vibrates and sings
its most sacred song
a symphony of Beauty

Hawk Visits the Squirrel

It will happen to you
on a carefree afternoon
the air is crisp and cool
the sky a brilliant cloudless blue
the sun low and penetrating
back lighting the pink cosmos and the bee
a stained glass window
holy in its beauty and perfection
You are gleefully leaping
from one branch to another
flying from tree to tree
playfully chasing your friend
dropping acorns along the way
The oak tree shakes and shimmers
When out of nowhere
the unexpected predator
visits you
sinks its talons into your life
rips away
your dearest treasure
And there is nothing you can do
except watch in horror
as what is most precious
is carried away
Grief lands in an instant
a sound emerges
deep, deep
from behind your heart
from some hidden chamber
keening
a strange sound
never heard before

Heart

(Dedicated to John Philip Newell
and the New England School of Celtic Consciousness)

Heart
beats to a different rhythm
in concert
with ocean waves
lapping to shore
one by one
moment by moment
day by day
Never ceasing
Proclaiming
the Yes of the Universe
Love without limits
The tenacity of Life
Eternally unfolding
New beginnings in each breath
with every beat
New life always here
asking for a midwife
to bring it forth
Heart knows the freshness
the gift of each new day
Beats with all hearts
Resonant with the Earth
the very pulse of the Universe
Heart asks only
to be remembered and felt
for a Deeper Listening
a Deeper Knowing
Breathe in and feel
the steadiness
the Devotion
the Love
the Selfless Service
of the Heart
Its never ending
Song of Gratitude

by Patrice Borst Ficken, Presented at Mercy By The Sea, July 13 2017
©2021 Soul Care Connections

by Patrice Borst Ficken
©2021 Soul Care Connections

Koan

“What did your face look like before you were born?” Thich Naht Hanh

My face
beams rainbows
glitters stars

My face
has no beginning
no end

My face
vibrates
sings
sees all

My face
contains nothing
and everything

My face
smiles to eternity
its laughter
makes the earth spin in its orbit

My eyes
reach far into canyon depths
vision high above mountain peaks

My nose
breathes in
the very breath of life

My mouth
breathes out
sea breezes and desert winds

My smile
lights up the sun

Breathing Room

The Divine Artist