The Doctrine of the Wooden Soul

The militants would tell you that our souls are iron, forged in the heat of life
They are wrong
Our souls are wood, growing in the soil of life and nurtured by the light of the Pancreator
All souls start small, but like a tree can grow large and great
Poor soil or blocked light can cause stunting
Yet with return of life and love the tree can grow strong
Few souls are truly dead, most can be restored once more to growth
Yet some have rotted from the core, broken their roots to life and shed their leaves
Dead wood can be carved into beautiful shapes, can be made to look like anything
But each carving takes away a bit more that cannot be replaced
Where living wood can weather even the longest storms and hardships
Dead wood will disintegrate and decay in the storm and the wet
Those with dead souls care not for the light of the Pancreator
They care not for the soil of the living, of emotion, of growth
They will carve and carve themselves to look beautiful
But they are not beautiful
And like the dead wood they are, they will only be useful to make tools for others
Yet the last shade of green is hard to destroy
Sometimes, only sometimes, a dead soul can be saved
Shore them of their carvings to reveal the green beneath
Plant them in the soil of life, love, and happiness
Expose them to the light of the Pancreator - hope, and peace, and forgiveness
And sometimes, only sometimes
The wrack of the dead soul gives way to new, vibrant life
Our souls are wood
Allow yours to bend, to flex, to grow
Beware the death of its roots, the blocking of its light
Our souls are wood, and this is truth

Amen

--You can't change those you love, you can only inspire them to change themselves--