Contest | Poetry | Seven Deadly Sins (June 2007)

[Mridula]

Evil is in the air and this month we want you to write a poetic masterpiece on The Seven Deadly Sins. To recall, the seven deadly sins are Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and of course, Pride. So whip out your pens and scandalize us!

Contest closes at 11:59 pm, June 26th.

[taliesin]

all the deadly sins or can we focus on one?

[aprilrain]

It would be appropriate to choose one, some, or all of them. Your choice.

[Hekate]

Sin is the stuff of Fictions writ
By Patriarchal Law -
For transport daily into Court
Where Criminal appear -

Defendant tried - Convicted -
Commission and Intent -
No other outcome possible
By Sainted precedent.

In solemn Judgement, Augustine
Took evidence from Paul
And Origins of sin pronounced -
Exposed in Adam's Fall

And though he suffered equally -
If History be believed -
Defence claimed culpability
Reduced by Sin of Eve.

Thus, ever since, the Sons of Man
Have Castigated her
On whom pressed down the Weight
And Mass - and Muscle - of the Law

And Legislature - at intervals -
Court Transcript still consult
To illustrate a Precept
Or identify a Tort.

Appeal was once attempted - heard -
And speedily denied -
J. Milton was the Barrister
Retained to speak for God.

The upstart Blake in answer sought
To deconstruct the Case.
It was, he argued, God - not Man -
That fell from state of Grace.

But Blake and the Establishment
Did not see eye to eye
So spirit of Revolt was quickly
Dubbed 'Insanity'

And, furthermore, the fiery Blake,
Concerned for Adam's Good Name,
Seemed not entire to grasp the Fact
That Eve endured most blame.

It is essentially to Saint
We owe our view of Sin -
Dualistic Drama over-writ
By Milton's partial Pen -

And if the Seven Deadly Sins loom stark
In Black and White -
Guilt it is that Powers them -
A Literary Device -

Swift Engine of Enslavement -
Cruel Gin - ensnaring Dove -
The Soul abhors a Judgement -
But - Surrenders All for Love.

[josiehenley]

On the first day I was angry:
I fumed and stormed, blasted and blazed.
The darkness split by my light energy.
My wrath majestically hazed.

On the second day I was proud.
I had created as far as I could see.
I AM the omnipotent Goddess
And you will worship ME.

On the third day I wanted more.
Not satisfied being mistress of creation,
I was greedy for supremacy.
I wanted power; I wanted action.

On the fourth day I was hungry.
I craved meat and fruit and fish.
I created the living things,
Then like a glutton devoured every dish.

On the fifth day I was horny.
I made a man to serve my lust.
But found he couldn’t keep it up,
So made a woman I thought I could trust.

On the sixth day I was jealous.
The man woke and claimed his wife.
She went so readily; they laughed at my envy.
After I had given them life!

On the seventh day I rested.
I set the ungrateful pair free.
Then snoozed under my favourite tree.
A lazy snake for company, oh idle, slothful me!


I had fun writing this.

[Tau]

If we can focus on one then here goes. last place here i come.

Gluttony

Lurking in the shadow of the earth,
waiting to fulfil a driven need.
Lurking to conceal its cravings birth,
waiting in anticipation of the feed.

When instance is approaching,
appetite drives the wound to bleed.
Of flesh grown from poaching,
of supplies taken for need to feed.

Hungering for all that can be devoured,
driven by desire to feed on the seed,
all that remains is burned and soured.
Yet Gluttony still possesses a need to feed.

[Simply_Toxic]

Her Deadly Sins

Green in her eyes,
A flash of poison through her veins,
It takes over her soul,
Inside her envy reigns.

Red through her blood,
The attraction is hard to resist,
It takes over her body,
Lust diverts her from what she has missed.

Green from her eyes to her palm,
Taking over her life,
She believes it cures everything,
Greed should take away every strife

But it doesnt you see,
So anger fills her blood,
Wrath comes upon her,
Like a dangerous flood.

Striving for revenge,
The hunger of it all begins to strike,
Gluttony is inside her,
The feeling so alike.

Because she is so angry,
She becomes proud of what she is
The thoughts and the memories,
Are no longer his.

The faster she runs,
The slower she has become,
Sloth is destroying her mind,
This wasnt what she wanted,
This is not of her kind.

These seven deadly sins,
Have destroyed a girl so pure,
But she is not the only one,
And for that I am sure.

[writenow30]

I slipped to see a sideways view--
a world in once I lived
of poverty, so a pittance for
the people I might give

But from the ash of dust to dust
I saw the dark so clear,
and turned to scream so silently
my pity turned to fear.

for in the shadow of that light
illuminated there,
I saw the things I couldn't see--
a life lived unaware.

For greed, for lust, for gluttony,
for this and that they came;
for sloth, for wrath, envy and pride--
yet these fiends could find no shame

I buried myself; I blocked my eyes
to this familiar new-found strife
until I realized much to late--
this sin had been my life.

[gary_wagner]

‘Of the people’, stabbed by partisan politics,
‘By the people’, killed by voter fraud,
‘For the people’ run over
by the freight train of power-monger whores.

Lust for political power,
dulls the brain,
animal instincts take control,
our ‘representatives’
represent only their lust-filled hearts of.

They feed their faces at the public trough
their insatiable appetite for filet mignon,
lobster tail, imported French wine,
showcases these elected pigs of gluttony.

Glorified robber-barons filled with greed,
pick our pockets clean,
take away our money
and waste it
on bridges to nowhere.

These highly paid, lazy sloths
only drag themselves to ‘work’ a hundred days a year;
a ‘work day’ that averages 5 hours
in which they do nothing
and do it extremely slowly.

But cross these grumpy bears
and you will feel the wrath
when they abuse the powers
of their elected office,
vindictive verbal attacks
and punitive legislation,
the weapons of their trade.

They envy those who earn lots of money,
hold laws as guns to their head
and take the money to buy their next reelection,
“Look at me, I screwed the rich”.

They primp and preen,
fluff up their peacock tails,
wear their $3,000 suits and gowns,
paid for by their government expense account,
parade with pride,
“Look at me, look in awe,
feast your eyes on the visage of a God.”

We send this slime to Washington,
reward them richly for their deadly sins,
for justice is in the realm of the divine
but these ‘leaders’ dwell in the flames of hell.

[starrwriter]

Although it's not a deadly sin
It's frowned upon in adult men
My favorite as a hedonist
Is wanking til I tire my wrist

[celador]

SEVEN DEADLY SINS
Avaritia Luxuria

As the soft breeze brushes my cheek,
i barely feel her
fingertips, masked by the cool crisp air

My legs and arms cartwheel
I am free
In ecstasy, I dance,

Circling
the ripened fruit branches,
the sloth is content

Lying on it’s belly
Chuckling at the news
It can rest

Cross-legged in the middle of the field,
grass gently glides over my legs and slides,
through my toes.

Inquisitive,
leaning against the trunk,
bowing to the earth;

I move my hips and place my hands,
and, casting a glance behind me,
i feel the spitting begin.

A figure lies, legs strewn,
across the moor;
Her eyes giggle secrets

I feel the racing of my heart,
against my uncontained bosom,
And I feel perspiration drip

The river beside me feels its beat
I see it carries a basket;
Wooden. Intertwined. Woven.

Winds deliver her whispers,
“Luxuria, Luxuria”,
and in this moment I am lost.

On all fours now,
Each whisper invites me;
Obedient, I crawl to my downfall

Myself unaware, but someone informs me:
“The pellets were firing down,
The atmosphere tumultuous.”

As I arrive at my destination,
hypnotised and wet,
she embraces me

The river rises;
An unearthly rhythm,
clashing against the bank

The waves gain power,
Each one angrier than the former
It’s voice deepens

Then flooding
The basket is engulfed
And the apple forced from the tree

It collides with the ground;
In pieces, its juices weep,
at my lust

“Avaritia?” I call, “Avaritia?”
I prise open my eyes,
and part my hair with my ribbed and wrinkled fingers

Looking down
On the ground around her: snakes,
serpents of sorts

Anticipating their wrath, I
attempt to ascend, but
Avaritia prevents me;

Her fingers grasp hold,
and constrict
until I am feeling her pulse.

Lightening casts a sheet
Tearing the forgotten tree

In pieces, I weep:
Here lie the remnants of me.

[taliesin]

“What are you doing? Right now.”

"What are you doing?
Right now."

Whispers in her ear,
water lapping at her back
as she shifted,
the flow followed,
swirling where her free hand
plunged below,
to rescue a pearl.

She giggled
the water gurgled
its response.
The chain wrapped around
her big toe,
stranded in a sea of bubbles,
five islands of pink and peach,
not yet wrinkled by the waves.

A wet hand
lifted suds to soft lips
parted by hastened breaths.
Bubbles blown,
carefully rearranged
to a modesty
befitting the Victorians.
Her other hand turned,
remained above water,
her thumb slid
across buttons,
a familiar, fake
shutter captured the moment.
She giggled again.

Slipped,
the tsunami raged
to the taps,
splashed the scented candle.

"Tss."

Smokey moonlight
lit bubbles on curves.

"Tell me,"
he whispered again,
"what are you doing?
Right now."

totally forgot I hadn't entered yet.

[o'connell]

My savage waves crash with madness,
by white horse draped in sadness.
Your rider's craven eyes shine bright,
plumes of smoke labour to his delight.

From shadows he pointed a finger,
spreading cancer,bred to linger.
Faithful drones bound in reason's sloth,
never to question the wars he wrought.

Now deep furrows scar my torn skin,
faithless found guilty of deadly sin.
My fertile plains have tasted his lust.
Ashes to ashes,dust to dust.

Twisting and turning all faiths burning,
the white horse conceals a yearning.
Tracing my line lapping the shore,
lay down your burden forevermore