Good evening my friends…
I am well & truly sorry for my long & somewhat sombre silence.
This absence was due to the sacking of my spirit till the point it was almost sapped of all substance.
I told you once of Sloth,
the 7th son of Sin; that sultry seductress of the 7 headed salamander.
I told you of how I woke within the pit with the dead dissolving around me…
Of how I ran till I ran into Wrath & woke before falling into his flames…
Now I am inspired to speak of what has transpired since I’ve been gone.
Once when walking the realm all dreams come from,
I spied a memory born before my time or yours:
The seven deadly offspring of sin sat round revelling in their spoils
& this led to boasts about who swayed souls the most.
Thus a bet was contrived to be concluded at the end of all things;
He who held the majority of sinners within their domain would be crowned king of all sins.
The siblings then set about sending their minions out to scheme, seduce & relentlessly ensnare the sons of man.
All except sloth who sat & seethed with a miasma that has long since seeped into the world to snatch the souls of those most susceptible to seeking serenity or safety.
If you are of this disposition then this should be a creed you heed,
as Sloth has sought to secure you through means most insidious.
By breathing upon the place you lay your head,
he turns your weariness of the world into his hooks to pull you into his realm.
So when you step into the chamber where you slumber,
you’re sleeping in a sanctum of sloth.
For when you step outside, all the things you wish to accomplish are fresh in the forefront of your mind;
your future infinite & filled with possibilities,
but when you step into that space, all slivers of salvation become nonexistent
& what slithers into you is a sound & severe sleep.
Isn’t it sad when your sanctuary becomes the source of the sorrow you seek solace from?
I can almost hear him now salivating & savouring the promise of such a succulent serving such as I;
his laborious breath seeping out slowly but steadily.
& just as he tries tirelessly to trap me in my own tiredness,
you can be sure his siblings are snaking their way into your consciousness.
So I say to you sweet citizens
if you feel the folly of your fragile existence fall fully upon you;
Be it Wrath, Greed, Pride, Lust, Envy or Gluttony…
Calm yourself, close your eyes,
take a deep breath, relax.
Fall into the sense of security that has shackled slaves like me
& millions more like me.
& perhaps you will join us in populating this putrescent pit that sloth call’s home;
bolstering his bounty with the boon of your broken dreams.
& when you’re brought before the final judge you can place blame on this testament as the beacon that beckoned you to provide sloth with the bodies he needed to win this bet.