Sin

Terza Rima appears throughout canto

Dante enters a sub-circle of the fourth. These damned souls are of manipulators, those who controlled others to satiate their sinful desires. In death they are eternally manipulated by the threads of their life, controlled to do the will of the demons that reside there as they had controlled others in life. They who saw no respect in their fellow man are now reduced to nothing doing the tasks of their masters.

Virgil told me to not be entranced
“For these souls are now puppets, for
They in life controlled others without a second glance.”

These souls that moved about abhor
the tasks of their demon lords.
The damned missed the control they used to adore.

Now the condemned manipulated by the hordes
Suffer to do the vilest of chores
Without any sight of rewards.

The souls forced to clean the floors
Of the circle they inhabit

Never able to see the holy shores.

As we traveled we came across an abbot

He told us his sinful tale

“I used my power to control the trade of rabbits

For which I kept the money from the sale

To lead a luxurious and extravagant life,

But now here I lie controlled by demons for eternity to wail”

As we left him I caught sight of a Florentine’s wife

As we approached she began to beckon us over

She told me her story “Please know my story of strife,

In life I was a licentious wife seducing passing rovers

Until my lovers quarreled for my attention.

Soon I was executed on white clovers.”

 We continued in the circle as I slowly felt tension

The circle became more like a puppet stage as we proceeded.

Though because of the demons it gave me a sense of apprehension

But continued on within this circle of puppets unimpeded.

Until I heard voices say “The papacy shall migrate

From its home to lands where its power becomes unneeded,

But shall be followed by a divided papal state.”

 At those words I grieved for the churches crisis

But soon this circle we would vacate.