Wrath (Seven Deadly Sins Series)

To hell with your unabashed privilege and passion!

I am not one to be crossed, all brimstone and fire.

Flames licking at my feet as I am drenched in incendiary spite

For your lawless, scorn filled claims of revenge.

Ha! I must say, you clearly are a daring devil

To challenge me now when I taste naught but rage.

 

You know nothing of my weapon, I choose rage

To beat you blind until I drink your bloody passion

Filled heart and throw your remnants down to appease the devil;

So he can laugh as you sizzle, roasting in his hell fire!

This is my idea of sweet, savory revenge

And you shall regret becoming the target of my violent spite!

 

Perhaps we have not come to an understanding in spite

Of all my warnings that you would wither under my rage.

The sheer determination to acquire my revenge

Should shake you down to your impure soul with pain of passion

Can you not feel the swelter of the fire?

Here it cometh in smoke, only for you… my daft devil.

 

In my ceaseless quest for justice they have named me the devil,

Demon of acrid anger and consumed in harsh spite;

But I know the truth that penetrates the fire.

Sinners must perish by the sword forged in the heat of rage;

And that I despise them with scorching passion

Only fuels my thirst for gore riddled revenge.

 

I will commit my aforementioned revenge

Through infernal torment - aided by my devil.

If I could pity it would be for your lost passion

As you spiraled down into your twisted web of spite

And became encompassed in a red fit of rage

That led you to your burning place within the fire.

 

Alas! It is I who is strewn across the coals of that fire!

Does not God understand my journey for lawful revenge?

I feel my limbs ripped from me in his hellish rage

Consumed by my own cohort - why my dear devil?

He steals my madness and smothers me in my spite,

Pirating what is left in my canteen of passion.

 

Agony incites his fire as it absorbs my passion

Draining my revenge and devouring my spite

Nothing is left of my righteous rage, but the cackle of the devil.

Author's Note

I have challenged myself to write a poem for all of the Seven Deadly Sins, each in a different form. Here is Wrath in the form of a Sestina. This was the hardest one to compose so far by a long shot. Suggestions? Comments?

Reviews

[RubyOmma]

I liked the first part the best. Very powerful! Awesome work. In the middle I got a bit lost. The ending didn't seem to quite make it come together. But overall it is very good. I love your use of strong words and images. My favorite is "all brimstone and fire" (I can see you wielding a brimstone that is flaming) I would say here it comes instead of cometh. It sounds too wordy and throws off the reader. Please retuyrn the favor and give me a review on some of my writing?

[Ashira Macy]

Thank you for your honest feedback Ruby, I am glad you enjoyed it overall. I definitely owe you a visit.

[raj24]

sometimes i get into that mood too and when its over i realize wow that was bad.. it really ruins a person and people around him.. we surely become devil.. of all those sins i feel its the most harmful.. it destroys the person and also the society.. and you really have wrote it well.. well described and you have created a picture that's just too strong.. thanks for sharing :)

Raj

[Ashira Macy]

Thanks Raj, I agree. If I were any of these sins it would definitely be Wrath. My rage becomes something to be feared if I am pushed to far, and that is a dangerous thing. Glad you connected with this!

[Sophy Freebirds]

It would have been difficult to write a restricted form of poetry still you have excelled marvellously,. I liked the abusive endearment - my daft devil.. the word wrath is clearly portrayed here justly. The anger burning within to discharge justice.The last six lined stanza brings an abrupt turn of events where it is send to burn eternally in the scorching hellish flame- divine vengeance.. from then on iit is ' dear devil'.. the irony of it is brilliantly penned.. Great write Ashira ;)

~Sophy

[Ashira Macy]

Thanks so much Sophy! My goal in the last stanza was to showcase what happens to people who choose Wrath as a way of life after they are dragged down to hell (according to The Inferno). I am glad it felt abrupt, I imagine being sent to hell would be nothing but. Thanks for reading and reviewing dear!

[Sophy Freebirds]

Its always a pleasure on my part girl :)

[Susan Beth Horvath]

Bravo! What a piece! You have put this into clear thought and superb flow!

[Ashira Macy]

Thank you Susan, I am happy this called to you!

[Matching Socks]

Pretty fricking good darling, pretty fricking good. :)

[Ashira Macy]

Thanks Ance, this one was a terror to pen towards the end. =P

[W.k.kortas]

I think the hardest thing to do with a formal piece--especially something as restrictive as sestina--is not to have the piece feel that everything was shoe-horned in to meet the end-line requirements, and you've overcome that nicely here. The choice of presenting it as a monologue is a good one; I think it mitigates the inherent difficulty of the form. Just actually wrestling a sestina to ground is an achievement in its own right; to do it this effectively is praiseworthy, indeed.

[Ashira Macy]

Thank you for taking the time to read and review Kortas! I am glad that it was a success, it certainly took long enough to write. =P

[jacob erin-cilberto]

next to last stanza..first line...might change it to "It is I who is strewn"

this had to be hard to put together...it is lengthy, maybe a bit too for my taste, but for the kind of poem it is, you do well with the form...and the rage is felt.

as Claudius said in "Hamlet"--"revenge should no no bounds, that we should do, we will do, when we will do"---

[Ashira Macy]

Thank you for the suggestion Jacob, I agree that sounds a lot better. I also agree that it was a bit long which is why I chose this style for Wrath. The 39 lines with repeated end words was intimidating and difficult, but when blinded by rage I know I have gone off on long tangents before. Anyway, needless to say I will not be utilizing this style very often. Thanks again!