The Trials of Meretrix Canto Vi

For you are to be held up in Judgement By they so empowered; Whose hot genes spilled from Incumbent towers Upon a warring continent - The Sovereign house thus Pared and deflowered! Thinning the blue bloods flowing Within the veins of royal bowers. Bow ye then thy head, Meretrix, At the inclusion of their lauded Company... Acknowledge thy Graces - The grand Dukes of Tuscany! Enter now, Meretrix, Into yon Solemn box; Why, Meretrix, thou shake like A quaking Cony In the feral presence of the Sly and cunning fox! Viewed as one railed by the Ranting preacher Who stands up and before, In sanctimonious piety and Hostile condemnation , Upon his congregation and flock To downwardly pour! Silence!! Hush now, My will shall be known For none darest ignore, Enter thy prosecutor, Cosimo the Elder takes centre Floor. For in the words of the "Pius" One, Who should unashamedly Recall:- "He it is who decides peace and War", This venerated man of high Merchant And Florentine fame, He is king in all but name"! Thus, attend upon me all ye Among this gathered diversity Now duly convened; Consider ye the failings of this Wretched whore, Sustained by most deceitful and Vilest of means: Humiliated and brought low, Purposefully exploited - Shamelessly demeaned! The plea therefore entered, Which I would rightfully demand To be unopposed and deplored, Is that she considers herself Both harlot and chaste: "Before he who would be my Lord". But hold! For the spirit of Balthasar, My Meretrix, hovers over thy Chair; He who would be shunned, Feared, excluded from all self- Righteous prayer. Cursed be his claim - an eternal Damnation of his soul! O revered Balthasar:- New interpretations of holy Scripture From rediscovered manuscripts Of old. So descend transcendental Balthasar, Of learned and unassuming fame, This sorrowful whore to defend, Thy put the quill to thee paper When to question, strongly Disclaim, and most sorely Contend; You who spoke out against thee Virtues of a church That doth so strangely dismiss Rationalized conclusions of a Religion, That, in confused contradiction - Shows itself to be so dreadfully Amiss! TO BE CONTINUED. READERS PLEASE UNDERSTAND: THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK UPON RELIGION...FAR FROM IT; ANYONE WHO THINKS SO HAS ALREADY MISINTERPRETED MY POEM. THANK YOU!