Sisyphus Redux

a song of hope

Sisyphus Redux

We never gave up on hope,
hope gave up on us, 
as everyday unkindness grew
into callousness.
 
Hope left discretely, 
and tiptoed away. 
At the same time 
Love lost its way,
God went silent,
and our prayers were left 
to wander in Limbo.
 
And the whole damn edifice 
of faith came crashing down, 
like a stage set,
as flimsy as any view of the world. 

How conceited of us to think
hope was our magic carpet
and would fly us to our promised land. 

Hope is fragile. 

It should only be used with care,
because each time it is dashed 
it sticks in our throats like dust,
and chokes us with disappointment. 

Therefore hold hope lightly:

Hope to sleep well. 

Hope while asleep
dreamwork transforms
the weight of yesterday’s burden
into something more bearable.

Hope to wake.

And at sunrise, 
clear your throat,
from yesterday's grit 
and start all over again. 

Sisyphus knows as much:  
his boulder remains as a large, 
his mountain as high.
his fruitless task to roll it to the top
as futile, hard and punishing. 

Nonetheless, he rolls it up each day  
and at the top he clears his throat,
lets go and sings his song of hope.

Although, his boulder rolls away,
and crashes in a cloud of dust,
he sings his song to the sky.

Sisyphus will do this for eternity. 
 
He knows his words are tied in one
with the great mountain,
with the great boulder, 
in one with his body 
and his heart.