What is the shape of a soul?

I think our souls are shaped like a long piece of rope,
tied in a special knot when we are born—
an ancient knot,
woven from ancestral decisions and circumstance.

It is beautiful to behold,
intricate as the pupil of an eye,
with colors spanning every wavelength of reflected light.

As we grow, the knot tightens.

A fortunate few, drawn to its mystery,
try to untie it—
to solve the puzzle of their generation.

“We must break free from our past!” we declare,
seeking the serenity of slack line.

But this knot is cleverly tied, as all lives are.
Its very design ensures it always tightens when touched.

Not merely a puzzle to solve,
it anchors our identity in time,
tethering us to the present.

Now I begin to understand my own unknowing.
I learn to let the knot fulfill its purpose.

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Yet—
time weathers the rope, wearing it thin,
until the final fiber breaks,
and the unique knot is forever lost.

How do we preserve ourselves here,
secured by just a rope?

As age brings stronger winds,
the knot’s value grows clearer—
and becomes our saving grace.

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Miranda Sita

April 18, 2025

Bainbridge Island, WA