To know me is merciful
Here I sit to visit engraved
I gaze upon the forever
all for love,
all for being.
patterns of mute
and fear, I grow roots.
Roots opening arms
giving taste of heaven
heavily I carve my being
collages of vivid-softness.
to know me is the mercy
of each line beyond me;
and we arrive,
together,
becoming,
all for the love of being.
CKS
This miniature is from the series, All for the Love of Being, a Visio Divina meditation with the words of Hafiz of Shiraz. Visit the link to read more and listen to the introduction to the series.
Reoccurring within my reflections were themes of grace, and providing myself a safe place to experience giving myself grace; giving myself the gift of roots made of breath enabling me to carve me into the bones of this earth.
I am a part of this world; not realizing I had excluded myself from the we I draw so often; still making myself unhealthfully meek, small, and frail.
I believe you might know this experience. Many of us do. Not all, but many.
It started with three graces. and turned into the prayer of St. Patrick’s breastplate:
Christ be with me
Christ within me
Christ behind me,
Christ before me
Christ beside me
Christ to win me
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ in quiet,
Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
A friend gave me a rosary and wrote a prayer based on St. Patrick’s breastplate in a time I was desperate for safety and journeying in a very darkness of terror.
I had no idea what my future held. I didn’t see myself alive, and was separating little by little from abusive place, and discovering my personhood.
I prayed and held and wore this prayer through my skin. Here I sit once again praying her into my skin, as she is worn into the soul of the paper.
She began as a digital drawing, and after I printed her, I continued with traditional media as reverse painting on glass, because I attached her to the cabochon. She grew roots more and more until she set herself into walnut; gazing upon forever.
paint much love, always,
Connie Karleta Sales
a.k.a. This Crooked Little Flower