Where does the body end and the spirit begin? Or is it foolish to separate the two, to think of the body as separate from “us”—a vessel for our souls in the best sense, a bag of decaying chemicals in the worst? We don’t understand the difference between aliveness and death, what animates, then disappears. I had a tooth extracted; did the cells of my jawbone miss their longtime neighbors, as trees are said to do when one is cut down? This body, this mysterious collection of atoms that somehow holds together to carry us around, is undeniably beautiful.

Poetry month bonus: "Body," by Alissa Valles.

Salt-N-Pepa, “I Am The Body Beautiful,” written by Cheryl “Salt” James & Bernadette Cooper, 1995.

This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day to early June, 2025.

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