
Living Life Poetically: Gone in Flesh, But Not in Soul
The poem, “Gone in Flesh, But Not in Soul”, challenges us to consider the difference between body and soul. In so doing, when our dearly departed are gone we can find strength in the idea that their soul lives on.
Gone in Flesh, But Not in Soul

Gone in flesh,
But not in soul,
I feel you in my chest.
So close. So near. So here. So dear.
Gone in flesh,
But not in soul,
You’ve now taken residence in my heart,
Unable to be held, but still able to be loved.
Loved with a force so strong,
I know you can feel it where you are,
Where your soul has departed.
And your love, I feel too.
Always.
That is how I know you have only gone in flesh,
But are not really gone.
Although physically departed,
Our love is so powerful, it lives beyond and hereafter.
Still close. Still near. Still here. Still dear.
By E. Ballay
Written October 31, 2022


