Seven Deadly Friends
Published: Wed, Dec. 19, 2007 07:23PM
Modified Wed, Dec. 19, 2007 07:30PM
E-Mail
Print
tool name
closeThe seven deadly sins are with us daily, like dear old friends. Dante names them: Luxuria (extravagance, later lust), Gula (gluttony), Avaritia (greed), Acedia (sloth), Ira (wrath, more commonly known as anger), Invidia (envy), and Superbia (pride). In seven short lines, I've tried to be as extravagant as I could be in architecting a brief encounter with each -- albeit a bit lazily. The poem is best read aloud loudly where that is allowed.
Twice now with wits twist, I've tried
to list what's lost to lust. At last
About the author
More Sunday Reader
I left off lest I lose all pride.
I eyed with envy as she fed
on a feast of beast and bread.
What gall! Give me it all! Fast!
Fast? No, I'll go slow -- I lied.
Paul Jones
who has for the past 15 years directed the Free Culture archives ibiblio.org, teaches at the School of Information and Library Science and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill. Jones is blessed to live with the lovely and talented Sally Greene, recently re-elected member of the Chapel Hill Town Council, and Tucker Jones, who among other good things is DJ of the WCOM "Shiny Happy People" show on Saturday afternoons.
Get it all with convenient home delivery of The News & Observer.
The News & Observer is pleased to be able to offer its users the opportunity to make comments and hold conversations online. However, the interactive nature of the internet makes it impracticable for our staff to monitor each and every posting.
Since The News & Observer does not control user submitted statements, we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted on our website. In addition, we remind anyone interested in making an online comment that responsibility for statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not The News and Observer.
If you find a comment offensive, clicking on the exclamation icon will flag the comment for review by the administrators, we are counting on the good judgment of all our readers to help us.
