Sisyphus

I'm pushing and panting,

Sweat rolling down my back

Like the world's most disgusting waterfall. 

My muscles are cramping up.

My arms start to shake;

My hands start to slip. 

Only a few more feet to go

Until I'm at the top of this godforsaken rock. 

I step on something sharp, 

My foot starts bleeding, 

And I'm slipping in a widening pool of red. 

I give it one last shove, 

But I push too hard; 

The rock goes up and over, 

Starting to roll back down the opposite side. 

I lunge for it, as if this effort

Has the potential to end another way

Than one of my countless previous failures. 

My hand slips off as the rock rolls away

And I land hard on my face. 

I think my nose is broken; 

It sure as hell is bruised. 

I lay here for a minute. 

I think about screaming, 

Shouting obscenities at the sky

On the off chance anyone is bothering to listen. 

I think about giving up;

Instead, I stand back up. 

I trudge down the hill and assume the position. 

I put my shoulder into it,

Push as hard as I can

To get the rock rolling back uphill. 

Why?

Why bother to try and accomplish

A goal that is explicitly impossible?

Here I stand. I can do no other. 

God help me. Amen.