Rationalist sonnets about being a person

7 sonnets and some comments

A friend tells me that, if there is no soul,
There is no clash of body against mind.
I hate to be contentious, but I find
The case is rather different, on the whole.

For flesh and mind are clashing all the time;
The flesh says "eat!", the mind says "lose some weight."
The mind cries "run!", the flesh drones "vegetate,"
The soul is no wise guilty of this crime.

Am I the athlete who desires to run,
Or else the slugabed who yearns for quiet?
Do I crave food, or would I rather diet?
The I that speaks is both, and neither one.

When flesh and mind contend with shouts obscene
I place the soul--the self--smack in between.

                                         -----smallship1

                                  -----rozk

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6 comments

Comments sorted by top scores.

 These two make much of flesh and limb, but why?
 Switch brains, your bod is mine, my body yours.
 If my mind doth persist I do not die.
 Is not the mind the brain? But this ignores

 All sense. A soul of silicon or cell
 Is still a soul. Persistence, how? Ay, there's
 The rub. Share memories, beliefs as well.
 Chain them together right, that soul, it shares

 Identity with me. Do it again
 And you'll have another. But is the soul
 Unified like it seems? Divide the brain
 Lengthwise and you get two. Are we not whole?

 If not, which half is me, which half another?
 Both are you, fool! You are your brain brother!