Project Dante

Canto VI

Then upon my minds reviving 1
Found myself on ground reclining
Saw I things that chilled my marrow
Souls immersed in graves foul shallow 4
Blinking back the tears now streaming
Eyes stung blind by blizzard screaming
Hailstones gross and raindrops greasy
Rancid stench makes stomach queasy 8
Under tumbled surface moaning
Spirits of the damned lay groaning
Over these a demon towered
Burning eyes of three heads glowered 12
All the while they scream like dogs
Trapped beneath this stinking bog 14
So Virgil stoops while I in awe
And throws he earth into the maw
Who wimpers like a scalded pup
Then over goes till toes were up 18
So walked we then across this field
Of sinners under water sealed
And Virgil told me who they were
The gluttons who did linger there 22
Then saw I spirit in the distance
Questioned I mirage existence
Figure turns to me fast walking
Starts this gargoyle anguished talking 26
Screams he does his face in pain
Battered by the stinging rain
'Oh you that travel through this hell
Recall me fore I downward fell?' 30
'I can't recall' I answered him
'No person with your visage grim
But tell me sir about your flaw
That cast you out against God's law?' 34
'For gluttony I fell in sin
Beyond all hope of risen King
But tell I tale of city great
Where sickness is the native state 38
I tell you this, within three suns
The walls will shake to many guns'
'What happens to these fractured souls?'
In agony I begged to know 42
'Can none be saved?' I almost raved
'The path to hell is merit paved'
He ghastly said with lips all torn
'No none shall live' to me he warned 46
'I need to know' to him I plead
'My fellows all do God's word heed?'
He looked at me and ghastly said
'They all fell here upon their death 50
Six billions souls and more on earth
But only one or two of worth
For every million doomed to burn
There might be one who heaven earns' 54
He goes all quite and dips his brow
My guide says 'He will rise not now
Until the final judgement come
When answer all to Saviour's drum' 58
Then walking down Inferno's path
He brings us close to Plutus wrath 60