Dream of Sisyphus

Dream of Sisyphus

 

 

Let us first agree that before there was something

there was nothing.

From out of nothing then, came the web of Fate

and the eternity called Time, or Chronos

whose arrow points forward to infinite future and back to unending past.

And Fate is called Ananke.

 

Ananke and Chronos are not corporeal beings

but serpentine in nature.

 

Ananke and Chronos slithered on their bellies throughout the empty universe

until they found the egg of creation

and coiled themselves round

entwining together in the primal act of love

and at the moment of climax the egg of creation was crushed

bringing forth the earth and sky and the foamy waves of the sea.

 

Ananke and Chronos then encircled the universe

so that their laws were everpresent, not to be escaped

and this is the world into which men are born

in which they make their prayers and offerings

to gain the favor of their unseen gods.

But Ananke's laws are not to be altered.

 

 

And in the days when the world was still young and men were like unto giants

there was one called Sisyphus

who tried to evade death and for a while succeeded

but his efforts and deceptions were displeasing to the gods

and Sisyphus was forever made to push a boulder

up a hill and reaching the top the boulder would roll back down

inevitably and yet again would Sisyphus push the boulder inevitably

and one day as I was out dream-walking

(adding up steps and counting my dreams)

I came upon Sisyphus and called to him

in the midst of his grunting panting labor I said:

 

"Sisyphus!  You're in such great shape!  What's your secret?"

but he made no answer and I said:

 

"Sisyphus!  It's not the goal, it's the journey.  Am I right?"

but he made no answer and I called out:

 

"Sisyphus!  More to life than a career!  What about a family?"

but he made no answer and I shouted so that he must hear me:

 

“Sisyphus!  You voice no protest, make no grievance known!  Yet we all try to prolong our days in the brightness of the sun.  Only you have been abandoned to this pointless labor.  To complete a task that can never complete.  Frustrating, Sisyphus!  It must be so frustrating!”

 

Sisyphus is turned toward me, a little out of breath, puzzled frown as he tries to determine the source of the voice he is hearing.  With a shrug he returns to his boulder and his hill and the fate assigned him at birth but as he starts to push, I see his lips moving and I realize.  

 

He's counting his steps.

Now I am satisfied.

Reviews

[Ken e Bujold]

Montag, what I love about your work is the breadth of knowledge, and your willingness to show it. Being well-read is an acknowledgment of man's greatest gift, the mind. While I suspect the audience for this is small, be assured you have a great fan here. The story of Sisyphus is one full of great potential and you have done a great job of bringing it alive. I was blown away by the line: "Sisyphus, there's more to life than a career" it hit the bullseyes in my own life.

Ken

[Montag]

Thank you Ken. If I have one great fan, that's all I can ask for.