[Brian Allgar]

It certainly doesn't suit the contest, Roger, but I'd love to know more - I'm always on the lookout for new sins to be tempted by.

[Chris O'Carroll]

Christopher Fry wrote an inspired line about the deadly sins in The Lady's Not for Burning. Thomas Mendip says, "And it's better to go for the lively ones."

I doubt I have it in me to submit seven poems for this competition. So my plan is to rank the deadlies in order of liveliness -- lust in first place, sloth in the cellar -- and work my way down the list until I run out of steam, or out of time.

[Brian Allgar]

It's better to go for the lively ones

That would exclude necrophilia, then?

[John Whitworth]

I love work. I can sit and look at it for hours. Jerome K Jerome

[Pedro Poitevin]

Chris's point made me think...

Yes, lust is the liveliest sin,
for although it strives to end in
the murmur of death,
a gasp, then one breath,
and life must resume or begin.

[Roger Slater]

When asked to give up deadly sins
I've never whined or fussed
Renouncing gluttony, envy, pride,
Wrath, greed, sloth . . . but lust???

[Brian Allgar]

I’m quite incapable of sin;
My rectitude’s like iron.
Of course, I’ve got my pride - but then,
I am the alpha lion.

[Brian Allgar]

This girl said “What about a spot of lust?”
She’s really gorgeous, I was nothing loth.
But as I started nibbling her bust,
I nodded off, thwarted of sex by sl...(yawns)

[Brian Allgar]

We’ve got these friends, they’re rather Cheam-and-Suttony
Home Counties types. We went to them for dinner;
You couldn’t say that they go in for gluttony -
Nouvelle cuisine, but smaller, meaner, thinner.

[Roger Slater]

Can you guess my mortal sin?
Am I a lech, a grouch, a glutton?
A lazy, jealous, prideful Scrooge?
Whatever you guess, it's on the button.