Canto XIII I/XIII: A Detailed Addition of Circle Seven's Violent Self-Harm in Dante's Inferno

Canto XIII I/XIII
CIRCLE SEVEN: ROUND TWO Violent Against
Themselves

Nessus had not yet reached the other shore
When we moved on into a pathless wood
that twisted upward from Hell’s broken floor

I began to wonder if I had misunderstood
because there are no souls in the sight
But the trust in my Guide withstood.

With very little light
I began to make out a row of trees
continuously growing in height.

“From the roots of each tree flows blood from thees.
Step towards the trees, Dante, observe in a better light.”
Stepping forward, I heard the screams coming from within the trees.

Quickly emerging from the night
A swarm of ball-tailed cats, and with a swift strike of their tail
the trees fall and ignite.

The souls are exposed and fall into a lake of blood with one last wail.
“The lake of blood is called Ronkonkoma,
when submerged, they relive memories of their victims in great detail.”

It is not long until the sinners are released from their memory-filled coma.
The ball-tailed cats use their tails once again to fish for their soul.
It was not until now did I sympathize with Thoma.

As soon as the sinners hit the floor, the cats went back on patrol
Then the process started again;