If all you saw was soul,
there’d be far fewer mix-ups
No one would care if there
was a hair out of place
or a blemish on a face
If all you saw was soul,
we’d trust a little better,
feel a little deeper
You might even be a better sleeper
We’d ignore the petty
and the inconsequential —
physical things that deceive the eyes
You wouldn’t care what society and culture
and intellect had to say
If all you saw was soul,
there’d be fewer clouds in your way
Only sun and love,
honor and heart
That’s what we’d be speaking of
instead of ‘she’s too this’ and
‘he’s too that’,
or ‘you’re too thin’
or ‘they’re too fat’
No ‘Jill’s too tall’ or ‘Jack’s too short’
You’d never think to say, ‘Oh, I’ll never let so-and-so through my door’
Now, I’m not talking some dualist shit
or some religious blah, blah, blah
I’m talkin’ soul as the inner core
the truth of who you are
If all you saw was soul
then, let’s face it,
you’d never ask for more
Garbage Notes:
I think this poem speaks to something universal. We all have a desire to be seen for more than just what we look like. More than our money or jobs or lack thereof. More than the cars we drive or the homes we live in. More than the degrees on our walls or the clothes on our backs.
Now, whether you believe in a non-physical soul or not, that’s not the important thing. As the poem says, this is about the core of a person. What they’re all about. When all the inconsequential bullshit is stripped away. When you lay your head down at night. When you come face to face with the abyss. That’s what’s left. Soul.
Of course, some people out there are more perceptive than others. Some have more sensitivity and intuition. So, naturally, some eyes will be better at seeing Soul. But if we take the time to practice. If we take the time to be patient, and make the conscious choice to see more than what’s there—now, I’m talking wayyyy past the obvious. Then, sure, you might have a chance to see people for more than what they appear to be.
You don’t need religion. You don’t need science. You just need to be a human being and you need to listen. Open your heart and give people the time. Give them the chance. All Souls can be revealed. And just think about how great life could be if all we saw was soul.
Franco Amati 2023
Love it too, this was one of my favorites when I first read it on Medium.
Beautiful. Love this poem. ❤️