Sisyphus Rising
Originally penned for a contest under the theme of freedom, this acrostic free verse poem explores the concept through the lens of a hopeful cynic.
Falling fast into the claws and
Ravenous jaws of the looming,
Ever-present machine feels all but inevitable.
Each of our steps is a backslide
Down the mountain like Sisyphus. It is
Only when we come to rest in the valley
Mired in grime and covered
In scars,
Some silver with age
And others fresh and pink
Like the tender flesh below, do we realize
It could never be done. Still, we must
Entertain the hope, the dream of
Better days. For where, if not
Under crushing pressure, does
The diamond form?
In the shadow of
The mountain, just beyond the peak,
Do you see the promised land
Of which the elders speak?
Eager to fulfill the destinies we
So desperately pursue, we must admit that
