Drug Addicts

In my greed I wrap
The tourniquet around my arm
The syringe filled with venom

Ignoring all that leads to harm
The dose at its maximum
Expecting to do its charm

Believing life at its optimum
Unknowingly taking my last breath
Leading it to its minimum

Now I awake
Reliving the nightmares of my past
Not able to escape

Seeing all who I have hurt
Hearing their cries
Realizing my selfish deeds

Suddenly feeling the guilt
Wishing to repent
But not able to make amends

Each episode was once a blur
But I forever live the reality
Of what I have done

Here I am again
In reach of my crutch
Hoping to ease the pain

But instead finding
That it no longer has its effect
To erase the torturous memories

As the flashbacks become more vivid
And my escape now useless
My thoughts are haunted eternally

My canto is in the point of view of a sinner that has died from an overdose of heroine which lead to her going to the seventh level of hell. I chose level 7 for my canto because people that are addicted to drugs are harming themselves, their relationship with God and everyone around them. The drug can also influence them to commit violent crimes such as robbery, assault and murder. The sinner's punishment is to have to relive each event where they have hurt anyone or done anything harmful. They are also in reach of the specific drug that they crave, but when injected, has no effect on them. This leads to them feeling the guilt and pain of everything they have done for the rest of eternity without any escape.

Larissa Kastorsky, Period 1