Oh Well

The soul grows by subtraction, not addition. - Thoreau

What if souls were visible?

Indivisible?

Traveling like an ambitious airship or eternal dirigible.

What if we had to wear them like scarlet letters?

Revealing apparel and truthful sweaters.

Passing through the eyes of needles and slipping through cracks.

Weighing down broken backs.

What if every time they were wronged they rang a bell?

A spiritual death knell.

For all the times they fell.

What if they testified of when they had to stop for a drink?

With a nod and a wink.

Walking on hot coals through Hell.

Oh well ... 

Author's Note

"Money is not required to buy one necessity of the soul." - Thoreau

Reviews

[john l smith]

the soul, being such a private place is probably better off not being seen, at the very least my soul is.
It is difficult enough looking in the mirror.

That is a wonderful picture (the hand pump) you have posted
Brings back many memories
Dave B

[Pete]

i couldn't agree more Dave - better off unseen. thanks for sharing thoughts. am glad that it brought back some memories for you. appreciate you stopping by for a read ... :)

[andrew mitchell]

What if we don’t have a soul and we just think we do? Lennon did say he was going to tell Paul what was on the other side but he never did! You just got to wonder especially when man rates his self importance as very high. Maybe we confuse our ego as being a soul! A write to ponder Pete, nice work.

[Pete]

excellent thoughts on the matter andrew! and wasn't Houdini supposed to come back at a Halloween seance to tell folks what was on the other side? that's what i love about you andrew - just when i think i have things figured out, you come along and flip things upside down with your unique perspective - but then again, you dwell in the land 'down under'. now i need to visit a different kind of 'watering hole'. blessings friend ... :)

[Einstein Noodle]

"Oh well ..." oh my!!!!! killer closing Pete ... rocked me sensibilities with the indifference ... yikes! soul searching thought inspiring poem sir ... love the bit of title and pic word play .... if souls were only visible ..perhaps we would do much better at protecting them form dirt dust and debris ..... ;{
E.
ps. quirky, mesmerizing music vid ... :)

[Pete]

that's what i like about you E. - not too much subtlety, you're either in or you're out! interesting thought you share - for something so important, we seem to do little to protect them and kept them intact but ah, that is the conundrum of life. now where did i put that dirt devil vacuum cleaner ... :)

[Einstein Noodle]

you could borrow mine but its in the shop! :))))))))))))))))

[emmajoy]

'What if every time they were wronged they rang a bell? - A spiritual death knell. - For all the times they fell.'

What a wonderful spraying of thoughts, questions! 'What if' is an invitation to think further, to stop and sit cogitatimg what might have been overlooked, perhaps? For me, the soul is what we adopt after death, tis more the spirit we wear whilst alive.. but here, in your finely phrased poem, you've prompted readers to perhaps or not - re.think. You've not explained, not even hinted.. you've sent a thinking ball in action. That, Pete, never or rarely wastes precious time.

[Pete]

i think i'm in agreement with you em - the soul is worn, molded and honed in life and then liberated from the limiting/restrictive body and earthly dimension for eternity - hopefully to dwell in the "right" place. thanks for stopping in for a sip and a look in the reflecting pool em! ... :)