The Procrastinators

Level 3.5

My canto would be placed in level 3.5 after Gluttony and before Greed. This level houses the Procrastinators, those who wasted their time because of distractions and waited until the last minute to accomplish anything. Much of their life was wasted and many opportunities to become someone were taken for granted. These imprisoned souls are punished every hour of their immortal lives. In this level there is a gate which leads to the outside world where they can get another chance at life and start over. There is a timer on top of the gate which is set to one hour. As the timer gets closer to zero the gate begins to close. The souls are placed a mile from the gate and all they have to do to be free is reach the gate but there is a catch. They are unable to move until the timer reaches the last ten minutes. After that they are free from their invisible chains and they have to rush to the gate before the timer reaches zero. As they get closer to the gate the ground begins to burn their feet and they start to feel heavier. If they are unable to reach the gate in time they are transported back to the start and have to run again.

As we traveled further into the third circle (A)

The procrastinators came into view (B)

All of them extremely tired and with blisters on their feet (C)

I asked Virgil what he knew (B)

About the souls who line up at the mete (C)

He told me they waited for the cue (B)

And it was the timer they had to beat (C)

They are the ones who wasted time (D)

and waited until the last minute to complete (C)

Any task that was prime (D)

As punishment they run towards the gate (E)

burning their feet because of their crime (D)

The timer is set to an hour but they have to wait (E)

until the last ten minutes are left (F)

to run the mile and escape their fate (E)

But as they ran they began to feel heft (F)

and they were soon exhausted before they could reach (G)

while their will to run was also bereft (F)

We watched as they suffered and let out a screech (G)

No one made it and they had to start over (H)

For all eternity to God they will beseech (G)

I realized the souls would never crossover (H)

And soon Virgil told me that we should get going (I)

But a shade called out to me and asked to come over (H)

He told me he had some advice worth knowing (I)

"Do not waste your time and you will not be (J)

like us doomed to reap what we have been sowing" (I)

After our talk i was finally ready (J)

To continue the journey through treacherous Hell (K)

And in the distance i could finally see (J)

The descent down that endless stairwell (K)

As i approached the stairs i felt very sad (L)

Because i knew that the man would never dispel (K)

The terrible fate because he was forbad (L)

From leaving the level of false hope (M)

All because he wasted the life he had (L)

Bryan Mendoza, Period 6