The Soul of Man (17.4.11)

“The soul of man is not the soul of innocence once found within a pristine garden.

  The soul of man is the soul of deceit at home outside the garden,

                             is the soul of iniquity enhanced outside the garden,

                             is the soul of evil intent matured in the presence of Satan,

                             is the soul fully adapted to its changed environment.

The soul of man is in need of purging,

                           is in need of exculpation,

                           is in need of a new beginning.

The soul of man is in need of close contact with his God,

                               in need of erasure of the muck which sticks,

                               in need of exposure to a washing sequence with the strongest bleach,

                               in need of a soaking saturation of every surface where lint may choose to cling,

                               in need of drying in the son light so freshness is restored to the cleanliness instilled:

                               in need of a thorough laundering,

                                    a complete restoring,

                                    a full redeeming,

                                    a complete recovering,

                                    a pressing through a mangle which enables the limp to stand.

           So the white became black;

                                             so the black may return to white.

           For as the soul of man is etched by God,

                                             so the engraving of the soul is hatched by man.

           For as the engraving of the soul is crosshatched by man,

                                             so the soul of man may be redressed by God.

           For as the soul of man is redressed by God,

                                             so the soul of man may be polished by man.

                          Wise is he who guards a polished soul.”