You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow? And tomorrow, what shall tomorrow bring to the overprudent dog burying bones in the trackless sand as he follows the pilgrims to the holy city? — Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

As the mercury digits displayed on my iPhone dip below 70 and the leaves of the live oak drop into the driveway, the beep of the Ring Doorbell app announcing an Amazon delivery reminds us that another Houston Christmas is just beyond the curve of the cul de sac.

‘Tis the Season of Giving, a tradition dating back to that night when the Magi left three packages on the Holy Porch in Bethlehem: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The latter gift may have raised some eyebrows around the manger, as myrrh was an ointment used for embalming. Upon peeling the snowflake-printed papyrus from the bottle, Mary most likely said, ‘Oh. Myrrh.’ As in, ‘Oh. Tube socks.’ Dear Balthazar, Thank you so much for the myrrh. I’m sure it will come in handy next Easter.

With ‘Pink Heart,’ The Coffin Fits channel the dying directive of a body that has reached its expiration date: Hold off on that myrrh; I’m giving everything to those who need it. Lungs, liver, corneas, kidneys, blood, bone marrow, and the just-stopped heart will be extracted and shipped on Santa’s surgical sleigh.

Take a kidney, I’m glad to share
Take them both or split the pair
You might as well take my eyes
The corneas are someone’s size
Take the marrow from my bones
Take my blood, make it your own
If you need it take my heart
By now to me it’s all spare parts

Actually… this isn’t a bad idea. It’s a Christmas present that anyone can afford to give, and giving the Gift of Life can make up for a lifetime of underachievement in the Helping Our Fellow Humans department.

The only thing I’ve done
That’s worth a damn
Is put a pink heart on my license
Maybe when I’m dead
I can finally do some good

It’s easy to become an organ donor and get a pink heart on your driver’s license. Just click here to visit the US Health Resources and Services Administration, and select your state from the pulldown list.

The Coffin Fits self-describe as a vaguely psychedelic sort of diet-goth™ garage rock band based in Austin, TX. The group comprises Chris Turpen (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Ryan Mackey (lead guitar, vocals), Lindsay Reyna (bass, vocals), and Patrick Friend (drums, vocals). ‘Pink Heart’ appears on their latest album, Beyond the Valley, released last December. I know I’m a year late, but I got here as soon as I could. Today’s track marks the second Song of the Day from The Coffin Fits. We featured ‘In the End’ waaaay back in March 2018. It’s a song worth hearing again.

The music of The Coffin Fits is available on Bandcamp, YouTube, and Soundcloud. And be sure to follow The Coffin Fits on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.