Soul Ache

Some do not believe people have souls.
They are biological literalists,
accepting only what their eyes can see,
their fingers touch,
and their ears hear.
Perhaps they are right.
Maybe the ache I feel is merely chemical reactions
in my brain, synapses firing in my nervous system,
and the natural result of my body reacting to both.
That could be all there is to it.

But I believe that my soul is aching today.
It is an ache beyond just the natural consequences of
living a life in a world filled with pain and sorrow.
It goes beyond, at least for me, the physiological.
I could be wrong; I know this.
And yet I believe my soul aches
for all the hurt and hate and cruelty I see.
My soul aches for those in grief and mourning.
My soul aches for this world we call home
and for all love and life lost.
Yes, it is just a belief and I have no empirical proof,
but my soul aches.