My friend Jim Price sends me a poem that reminded me of (1) How I interact with the guys upstairs and (2) some of what they have told me about the interaction among spirit, body and soul. And, it’s a neat poem. 

Conversations With Soul

1.  Introduction

Perhaps introductions are in order.

Not so easy since we don’t have a name.

Lately, I’ve taken to calling you Soul.

For you, we’ll respond to that.

I could also call you the Self.

Soul will do nicely.

I’ll play in the normal font, while your team is in italics.

Yes, italics make great jerseys.

 

2.  Whining

I brought you here to listen to some good old-fashioned human whining.

Whine if you must, but please don’t use the magic searchlight 

 to contact us for an indulgent whine.

But humans need to whine from time to time. 

When we’re getting fancy, we call it ventilation.

Yes, then ventilate all you need. 

We wouldn’t want you to hold your breath and turn blue.

OK, for starters…

But not with Soul!  Find a good therapist.

I can’t afford a good therapist.

Then find one at home for free. 

Recognize the energies that are bound to support you. 

Hold on to the motions that pull you free.

Suggestions?

You know your best routines, your finest shields, your own sounds of music. 

But may we also suggest that stones make excellent therapists, as do dogs. 

There are thought fairies that live for the opportunity

to whisper soothing consolation and give potentially helpful advice.

Then what is Soul for?

The music of the spheres.

I can resonate with that.

 

3.  Fibromyalgia

You know, I would have left her when I was 52 if I were more vital,

if I didn’t have fibromyalgia.

We know.

I’ve always wondered if that means I made the right decision to stay with her.

Is that your conclusion?

It’s hard not to draw another.  What do you say?

There are always signposts along the way,

omens and conditions placed in the path to guide you.

Even something like fibromyalgia?

Afraid so.

I could do without it you know.  Maybe I wouldn’t have left her. 

Or maybe if I did I would have gone on to greater accomplishments.

Maybe. 

And maybe you would have stayed in your  job, not taken early retirement.

Fibromyalgia strikes again.

And probably again in the future, based on the patterns you have set to date. 

Drat and doubled drat.  Am I so stupid that I need such painful reminders?

We’d say unconventional. 

A life filled with adventures of consciousness does not follow the norm. 

And we’re not saying you need fibromyalgia. 

But you do need structure of some kind. 

Painful structure?

We realize it sometimes appears that way.

But certainly, there must be other ways.

It hasn’t been so bad, has it?  We’ve helped see to that.

Actually, it’s been quite good. Thank you.

 

3.  Uncertainty

You realize that part of the human condition is uncertainty.

You live within the field of time.  The future…

Is always uncertain.

We’re not sure interrupting Soul is such a good idea.

But you do see my point.

Today one uncertainty, tomorrow another. 

Yes, there are challenges. 

But hear this, worry bleeds the will.

In other words, pull myself together.

Make a practice of pulling yourself together. 

There’s more Self to pull together than you are currently aware.

 

5. Expanding Choices

OK, I’m not here to whine with you.  I know I can howl at the moon.

You may capitalize Moon when speaking with us, if you like.

I think I’ve discovered a backdoor to whining with You.

Pray tell, what would that be?

Examining and expanding choices.

We’re always up for a round of expanding choices. 

I’ve determined choices can pull me from the whine place.

What choices do you have in mind for yourself today.

I’d like to fly!

We assume you are both kidding and metaphoric.

Like a bird!

How about carrier pigeon?

I’ll take it, as long as I’m not asked to go tell it on the mountain.

The messages have been attached to your ankles. 

Now let them fly like the winged Mercury.

Do I have to worry about flying too close to the sun?

Of course.  Well, not worry exactly.  Awareness of circumstance.

Let the pain in your muscles guide your distance.

What am I saying in my pigeon-carried messages?

All your Soulful thoughts.  We become a flock together!

 

6.  Snowflakes

I’m not the first person to do this, you know.

You mean speak with Soul?

That, and nearly everything else the Greeks probably did first.

That’s where you’re wrong.  Every snowflake is different.

How do we know that?  Anyway, snowflakes melt.

Snowflakes only melt in the field of time.

But I live in the field of time.

All right, maybe snowflakes was the wrong metaphor. 

The point is, every individual is unique

and adds diversity to a growing Universe.

That’s an infinite number of snowflakes. 

The universe is really big, and I am really small.

Forget snowflakes for the moment, they’re making you feel small. 

You are not small. 

Do you think the cells in your body think they are small?

Then there was that Yoda character.

OK, I realize I’m unique, and I celebrate all the cells in my body. 

What then?

We are building on that which is unique. 

Believe us when we say, when a truly beautiful snowflake is formed,

Universe in its presence expands on the Beauty.

Imagine, instead of a blizzard of millions of individually tossed about flakes,

one beautiful flake that floats into the sky like a star.

I thought you said to forget about snowflakes.

Yes, and think about stars.  Think of the light that comes off stars.

So all this Soul speak lights the sky like stars.

The fully realized Soul is like a star.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful

if we could get all the stars speaking with each other. 

That would be a truly conversant Universe.

 

1. Continuation

I can’t keep this poem going forever,

not even for the rest of my life.

The poem was your idea. We are simply cooperating. 

We are happy to converse without journalism. 

You don’t need to take our picture.

But you make good copy.

If you could only see us with our makeup fully applied.

Very godly, I’m sure.

That’s one of the things we like about you…

I thought you had to like me by definition.

The interrupting part isn’t your finest feature. 

And no, we do have our favorites. 

But like good parents, we love all our adult children.

Love manifests through Soul by definition.

I’m not sure I like the description of myself

as an adult child.  Call me childish if you want,

but somehow, I think of us as potential equals,

living life from different perspectives.

Edit us out as parents if you prefer.  The goal is unity, not hierarchy.

Words, words…

Mere words, they’re for the birds.

Remember, you’re the one that wants to fly.

So you were saying, you like…

That you have humor, and aren’t inflated,

even when projecting an image of Soul. 

Godly, that’s a good one!

Let’s not promise to deep in touch, let’s actually keep in touch.

This isn’t the beginning of a wonderful relationship.  Alpha and Omega.

Time without end.  If only I could bottle it.  Not like a genie, mind you. 

We would say, keep the bottle open, there will always be wine.