(SR) GATES OF HELL
THE GATES OF HELL
The Turkish gaze at me, unaware that I’m
Just an epic poet on my wanders,
Spirited amongst them by gusting rhyme,
To stand before the Cehennemağzı Caves,
Burrow’d out by giant anacondas;
This is Hell’s Mouth, a road below them paves
The way to Cerberus, t’where souls departed
From flesh decaying in disrespected graves.
I heard a voice whimper, “Have pity on me!”
“Are you a ghost,” I hiss’d at this man in robes,
“I am the shade of Virgilus of Rome,
Poet to Augustus & the false & lying gods!
The place eternal waits, the deep & savage way
Where shrieking ancyents wail for second deaths,
From there, a spirit fitter than mine
Shall lead you safely thro’ the spheres divine”
ABANDON ALL HOPE THOSE THAT ENTER HERE
THRO ME THE WAY INTO THE WOEFUL CITY
THRO ME THE WAY TO THE ETERNAL PAIN
THRO ME THE WAY AMONG THE LOST PEOPLE
Clapping Hands * Screams of Anguish
Haunted Sighs * Lamentations
Loud Scourgings * Strange Tongues
Horrible Lingua * Words of Pain
I saw a great crowd by a black & loathsome river
A demon row’d towards them with eyes of burning coal
“This is the Acheron,” said the poet, “& that is Charon!
Father of the livid marsh, watcher of its river crossing!”
The Mantuan vates saw me shrinking back in fear
From all those angry tones, & with a sighing said,
“Welcome to Inferno!” – in-holding hot breath,
We plung’d on deeper thro’ a starless gloom…
Mumble Words 