The Flesh

Andre Fluellen (DL - Florida State) is a poet... well, anyway, most football players have other interests but this is really great. A spiritual poem he wrote was published recently at Seminoles.com.... here is that poem reproduced...I hope nobody minds:

Originally published November 17, 2007

--> --> The Flesh..>..>

Motivated by every carnal desire
it has no feeling, emotions, or restraint.
Consistent in its persistence for evil,
this vile mass attempts to extinguish the only light
that toils to show itself through for some glimpse of good.
When the soul is finally freed from this contraption

it thinks, "how did I survive this contraption?"
Exiting that rotten hull of flesh was the soul's only desire.
That carcass of stench, purely serving itself for no good,
left the soul struggling for purity, but only shackling me in restraint.
Momentarily the Good News fills the windows of the flesh with light,
only again to be blanketed by lust, wrath, sloth, and evil.

The flesh must fall under enslavement by the devil,
for Lucifer is the only one wicked enough to create such a sinful contraption.
The soul against the flesh-the flesh against the soul, a battle with no delight.
but it is the duty that the soul endures this pain, not its desire.
The flesh does its sinful will without guilt or restraint
the soul attempts to clean this septic tank, pumping bad out of good.

Hopefully this cleansing will produce some good.
Eventually this infected cocoon will be left behind with its evil,
and the soul can finally be free, without envy or restraint.
the flesh is its own, a truly glutonous contraption
that only serves its own pride as it does what it desire.
Now that it is free, the soul bathes in the glory of the Light.

released from the cold, rancid flesh, the soul absorbs the warmth of the Light,
ecstatically realizing that it is home now, away from the flesh for good.
No more stench, no more greed, no more loathing as a primary desire.
Now the soul can put its full use to work, instead of tiring to rid the flesh from evil.
Again, the soul cannot believe what it used to be trapped in,
as it takes time to rest, think, and recover from decades of restraint.

All of these decades of wrath and restraint
leave the soul starving for more pure light.
worms and disease fester the former contraption,
It used to think it was impervious, perfect, and good.
Fooling itself, taking pride in its evil,
It only did nothing but fall in its desires.

The soul against the flesh-the flesh against the soul
a battle as difficult as a sestina, deep rooted in time.
the flesh never gives in, the flesh never gives up, always consistent in its persistence for evil.

- Andre Fluellen