When I was wee
I was convinced that I knew
what my soul looked like –
it looked like a wee spool,
the sort that you get
thread on.

My sins would cling to it,
freckling it,
so that it would darken down gradually
over time.

Then,
after the sacrament of Confession,
my soul would be
brilliant, radiant,
like the brightest wee spool
that you’ve ever seen
in your whole life.

Don’t they say,
“Show me the child at seven
and I’ll show you the man”?

Well,
over fifty years later,
as I emerge from Confession
and kneel to say my Penance,
that image of my soul
as a bright, white, wee spool
pops back into my head.
I see it nestled
beside my heart.

And when I finish my Penance,
I ask Jesus to help me
refrain from the sins
that routinely darken my soul …
bit by bit …
day by day.

Because, you see,
I want to keep my soul,
that precious wee spool,
brilliant and white
for longer!

© Claire Murray, 14th April 2024