Purgatory Parade

[i_fly_solo]

was Sisyphus the first documented incidence of insanity

hill

the

up

boulder

the

pushing

every day

only to run screaming as it tumbleddownafterhissprintingform

breathless at the base of Olympus he’d squint

into the sun

thinking he’d rather stand. still. scorching. fingertips. on the surface of. a yellow ball. of fire.

than heave       a          damn   rock     uphill

one      more    time

(doing the same thing overandoverandover expecting different results on each attempt)

when in the balmy dew of morning the man discovers
the calluses have almost finished turning his hands to stone
the blood has tightened his shoes another half-size
and his mouth is still full of stale screams and granite dust
he’ll take         one      two      three    four     cautious           steps

and use his shoulder to start the push.

if it’s heavier than it was yesterday there’s no one to complain to.

one      foot     in         front    of         the       next
            sweat

drips

into

his

eyes

he blinks
registers the summit in the approaching distance

one      more    push
his footslips onapebble
the boulder chaseshimdownthehillsnappingathisankleslikeaniratealligator

herunsfasterthanhecanbreathekicksdirtintohisownface
                                                                                                again.

falls inaheap. bones intact.
panting into the sand he ignores his sunburned back and thinks tomorrow I won’t slip
he thinks I must be insane to still be alive.