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Body Counts

 

All of which to say

We can be spiritually minded

And love this life as well

Of flesh and blood

And stuff

 

I have a body

Inside’s kept my soul

When the soul leaves,

There is a counting

So many spirits in Virginia

So many from Sri Lanka

More from Palestine today

More from Yemen

There are tries at genocide

If my enemy does not exist, then

I no longer live in fear

The fear of retribution

From another side

Notwithstanding

We say to a better place

But we do not know

We do not know

A better philosophy’s required

To convince us

That somehow all this

Leave-taking is all right

 

There’s a medieval notion of

Purchase for ransom

The devil has our souls

Jesus paid to free us

But what should have been gold

Turns out to be blood

Payment required

For ancient sacrifice

And deals made

Once outside paradise

 

And with his blood mankind hath bought

One of the older Christmas songs

(hence the faulty use of

mankind, though it)

Teaches us,

Which does not mean to

Long for heaven over

Earth

This life is yet worthwhile

It’s all right to guard it

And regret its passing

Not as an end to

Suffering (that’s good)

But as a gift we’re given

And would just as soon

Not have to return

 

It’s all right

The old, old story says

We get to have it

Once the shell is gone,

We’ll get a new one

For now, though, that’s a mystery

And one not to manipulate

Of tyrants or

The gross indifferent

 

Keep us on the inside, Lord

Help us with reasons

With resources to

Live it on the outside

 

C L Couch

 

 

Image by Schwoaze from Pixabay