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Canto 13
Anna Rashe

Scarlet seeps from my bitten leaves

unable to scab over and begin healing.

Roots tunnel in the dark soil

worming through the damp ground.

I have not ventured from this place since falling.

My twisted limbs beckon for consolation

but all souls around me are in the same predicament.

Bulging knots have formed over my charcoal wood.

Moans from above shower my leafless limbs

and shrieks from below feed my intertwined foundation.

Suffering is a continual downpour of blood and tears.

Pier della Vigna stands to my far left.

His worn bark shows the scars of years past.

I tried to run from the suffering in my life before

and unbeknownst to me, I ran into the dragon's mouth.