The man in the lab with his scales and tools
Measuring every inch of your once living form
Twisting a tuft of hair without a thought
For the nakedness that lies before him
And the boredom that fills his soul
Weighing each organ, each part of your body
Staring into the emptiness where your lungs once breathed
Even in death, still an organ donor they say
As if something can outlast the final breath
Your feet, just regular feet
No mark of expertise or love
Nothing to show the life you lived
Or the people who held you dear
Every pound accounted for, except for 21 grams
The man, a praying man, claims to understand
This is the soul, he says, finally
After the breath has left the shell behind
21 grams, he proclaims, the weight of the soul
Less than $4,000 worth of crack, he equates
All that moves us through this world
All that remains when all else is gone
But what of the love that filled your heart
The memories that danced within your mind
What of the laughter and tears that you shed
Do they too weigh only 21 grams?
The soul, an intangible essence
Beyond the reach of scales and measures
A mystery that defies the grasp of human understanding
For in the end, it is love and connection
That truly move us through this world. (\"21 Grams\") by Courtney Weaver Jr.