[Roger Slater]

I love lamb that's grilled or stewed.
I love a dish that's muttony.
Why did God create such food
and then prohibit gluttony?

[Roger Slater]

SLOTH

If I were a moth
my endless sloth
would keep me from the candle

where I might fly
and blindly die
of flames too hot to handle.

And so I'll praise
throughout my days
the sin of being lazy.

If I exert
I might get hurt,
and wouldn't that be crazy?

[Pedro Poitevin]

LUST

Look at my neighbor's house,
and there––look at his spouse!
Unjust.

He built a shiny fence,
but it's––in his defense––
robust.

I want to eat that peach,
the one I cannot reach
but must.

There is no greater sin,
none more encompassing,
than lust.

[Roger Slater]

LUST

If lust's a sin, I love a sin!
The feeling overpowers!
Of course, I'll call the doctor in
if the sin exceeds four hours.

[Marion Shore]

The sin of lust's the best:
although it may be moot,
what good are all the rest
without forbidden fruit?

Avarice is boring:
it's no fun hoarding treasure.
Sloth will keep you snoring;
wrath spikes up your blood pressure.

Envy turns you green,
gluttony gets you fat.
Pride makes you primp and preen
and nobody likes that!

Of all the deadly seven,
it's lust that rings the bell!
If there's no lust in heaven,
Well then, just give me hell!

[Roger Slater]

Well done, Marion, but do you need the first stanza?

[Roger Slater]

GLUTTONY

Let's hear it for gluttony,
the one sin we need!
(I own a few restaurants.
My own sin is greed).

[Lance Levens]

In Praise of the Seven Deadlies

The demons request I roll over so they
can baste me more better with butter and salt.
They're always polite: whatever they say
It's "Begging you pardon," "It's all our fault."

Satan's so self abnegating and kind.
He thinks it's just wicked they way all the sins
are worded so craftily. "What sort of mind
would grasp those rules in a literal sense?"

"I totally see why you dissed the whole lot.
They lack ambiguity, sine qua non
for clarity these days and likely as not
that was done just to sew confusion."

"Yes, The Seven Deadlies is a masterful tract,
no conditions, in case's or counterfeit rules.
It's shows such an absence of breeding and tact.
The blighters who heed them--such unlettered fools."

[Pedro Poitevin]

If it's robust,
with every thrust
I feel it stronger.

I wish your lust
persisted just
a little longer.

[Pedro Poitevin]

My goodness, Marion's is very strong.

How does one decide which one to send in?