The Sin Eater Poem by Richard Burke

They were the poor and outcasts,
Devoid of kith or kin,
Forced to practice a desperate trade,
The eating of another man's sin.

The righteous fall seven times,
Most men will die with sins;
How then to purify the soul,
‘Fore "Final Judgement" begins?

Too late to call the parish priest,
No confession can a dead man make;
What refuge does the deceased then have,
With heaven and hell at stake?

But purification was simple,
Lay bread upon the breathless chest,
To absorb all life's transgressions;
The soul departs both pure and blessed.

Bread absorbs all liquids,
But can it soak up sin?
The bereaved believed with hope it could,
And called a Sin Eater in.

In choosing which bread to use,
It's porous whites for venial sins;
For mortal offences like lust and pride,
More absorbent sourdough wins.

The Sin Eater then consumes the bread,
The transfer of sin complete,
His soul turns black with another man's sins,
For you are whate'er you eat!