the soul

the soul

The verb soul often appears in literature
and has its outpouring in religious thinking
But is there a soul independent of the body
if so, who does it belong to?
when we of an older generation went to school
bible-classes were important
our teacher said when we did something
we should not,
 it was the soul telling us we were wrong
This was tricky and had to do with respect
for teachers and authority and was clearly
meant for us to behave the way the adults
thought was sensible
The easy way for many is to say there is not
such a thing as a soul
 if so, is consciousness a thing only humans
have, while animals live by instinct?
When we read books, we find, in literature
many references to religions
We can't escape its influence, but is it right
or another propaganda ploy by those
who want us to see the world their way
If body and soul are two different entities
what happens to the soul?
do the souls free of our bodies float in
the great, infinity in a meaningless forever
Yet, within us, there is consciousness, we
know when we make an error of judgment
this is our mind talking to us
for those who do not feel guilt, we call
psychopaths, ergo, being without a soul.