SPACESUITS © 1989 David Roth

On the day we're born our soul is placed
inside a special spacesuit
An amazing thing of flesh and bones,
of fibers, tubes and cells
Each one a different shape and size,
and many different colors
And it lets us move about the earth
with other types of shells

Astounding as it seems, this suit
is built to last a lifetime
Though the measure of a lifetime
seems to change from soul to soul
Some will last for many years
and others but a moment
But each suit has been assembled
with a purpose and a goal

The control box of this special suit's
located in three places
And at any given time there's always
one that takes the lead
Causing all the other parts to follow
blindly without question
As it tries to give the soul the things it needs

The head or brain will analyze
environmental input
Using logic, rhyme and reason
to devise the body's plan
The groin, much on the other hand,
will travel on its instinct
Hooking one suit to another when it can

But somewhere in the middle lies
the greatest, grandest feature
Often acting as the liaison,
connecting part to part
It's the auricle of destiny,
the pulse of life, the center
It's the thing we have in common called
the heart

The heart, which does so many things,
is molded by experience
It starts out very opened up
and warm and soft and kind

Depending on the circumstance
it stays that way or changes
As it grapples with the groin
and with the mind

The mind might try to hide the heart,
the shrewd homo-erectus
Constructing extra layers
of protection and defense
But often this gets in the way
and doesn't help connect us
So the groin steps in
to try and recompense

But somewhere in the middle lies
the greatest, grandest feature
Often acting as the liaison,
connecting part to part
It's the auricle of destiny,
the pulse of life, the center
It's the thing we have in common called
the heart

On the day we die, though I'm not sure,
it's open for discussion
But I believe the spacesuit
has fulfilled its Earthly chore
Providing home and shelter
for the fragile human spirit
Til the time when it's not needed
any more

Then the soul will find another suit,
it's kind of like recycling
And though the lessons of the mind and groin
aren't lost along the route
It's when we've learned to speak and listen
firstly from the heart
That our souls won't need these suits
to move about

Somewhere in the middle lies
the greatest, grandest feature
It's the auricle of destiny,
connecting part to part
No sweeter music ever came
from any kind of organ
As the one we have in common called
the heart