Ode To Sisyphus
Ode To Sisyphus
You might call it déjà vu.
Call it what you want to.
Is it against my will,
Pushing this boulder up this hill?
It seems like I just did this.
But my mind says, “don’t you wish!”
I’ll just push it up until I get to the top.
But something tells me I can never stop.
You know I had a degree in arrogance.
I could devastate and destroy with nonchalance.
I was sly and I was shy,
Then I could poke you in the eye.
I was merely crafty and mischievous.
I prefer that to avaricious.
Some say I was not hospitable.
Some even say despicable.
I only killed travelers and guests!
With my niece, I had a little incest!
What can I say? I’m a rolling stone!
I even took my brother’s throne.
This rolling stone gathers no moss.
And I have no idea whom is the boss.
Is knowledge the struggle I should not pursue?
You think I know too much says you!
I was the king of my domain!
I remember something about Zeus.
Did I dream I had Death chained?
And did Zeus turn him Loose?
I don’t know
But I have to go.
I have to rewind my soul.
This rock I have to roll!
Just up to the top. Before the setting sun.
There we go. I guess I’m done.
Wow! It’s morning again!
I guess it’s time to begin.
I’ll have to push that rock today.
There is one thing that I might say,
My life isn’t always a bed of flowers,
But at least I get to set my own hours!
By Micky Dee
Sisyphus - the real struggle
Greek mythology says that Sisyphus was pretty naughty guy with all the killing and what-not. Sisyphus seduced his niece, took his brother's throne, and betrayed Zeus.
Zeus had his henchman, Thanatos, to chain Sisyphus in Tartarus. This Tartarus is a deep, gloomy place, a pit, or an abyss. It’s used as a dungeon of torment and suffering that resides beneath the underworld (like Washington, DC).
Sisyphus was evidently a wizard (perhaps like our modern day lawyers). Sisyphus tricked Thanatos into demonstrating how the chains worked. When Thanatos did, Sisyphus secured them and talked a bunch of trash. Thanatos was Dr. Death! Death was suspended!
Now they were having battles. People were being carved up into too many pieces to count. Then- these pieces would get themselves together by dinner time and would be watching soccer with some mead on tap.
This hardly made war fun anymore.
So Ares, a hot head I’m told, was a little chafed. He jumped in and set Dr. Death loose. Dr. Death, Thanatos, took Sisyphus to Tartarus (spooky hole in the ground).
You would think this would be the end- but noooo!
Before Sisyphus died, he told his wife that if she really loved him, she would throw his nekkid body into the street. Now, get this, He tells Persephone,Queen of the Underworld, that his wife was dissing him. Sisyphus talks Persephone into allowing him to go back to the upper world and scold his wife for not giving him his props by burying the body.
Can you believe this? And Persephone goes for it! She let
him go! How did she get to be Queen of the Underworld?
She must be like our judges and politicians. They say they’re tough on crime and they wind up letting the guilty go and they lock some good people up! So what do you think happens now? Back in old Corinth, Sisyphus says he ain’t going back to the underworld. I guess this was a big surprise to Persephone. Hey Persephone! A blind man could see that coming!
Sisyphus had to be forcibly dragged back by Hermes. Like Hermes didn’t have enough to do!
Dig this: Hermes was the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology. He was additionally a guide to the Underworld. Hermes also served as a psycho-pomp (not psycho-pimp). That’s being an escort for the dead. You know, he helps them find their way to the afterlife (the Underworld). Hermes was the only god besides Hades, Persephone, Hecate, and Thanatos who could enter and leave the Underworld without hindrance. He protects and takes care of all the travelers, miscreants, harlots, old crones and thieves that pray to him or cross his path. So, no matter what you do- give him his props and he’ll take care of everything.
Hermes was athletic and always looking out for runners, or any athletes with injuries who need his help. So I guess he’s like a personal trainer as well.
Hermes was a messenger from the gods to humans (like a Hollywood agent or something). Hermes delivered messages from Olympus to the mortal world. He wears shoes with wings on them and uses them to fly freely between the mortal and immortal world (the shoes have little lights that flicker when he walks).
Hermes invented fire (probably in the kitchen one day)! He’s parallel to the Titan, Prometheus (whoever they are). Hermes invented the lyre. No the “liar” was around for along time. The lyre was a lot like the guitar. I think we can say that this was, in a sense, inventing the guitar! Rock on Hermes! Hermes is given credit for inventing many types of racing and the sports of wrestling and boxing. Therefore he was a patron of athletes (like Vince Lombardy and Red Auerbach). It seems like there were a lot of couch potatoes before Hermes came along. I mean, come on! Inventing “types of racing”? Like office chair racing? Boxing? I’m not sure you have to ever create boxing. You can perfect it as possible but people come out swinging today. Wrestling? With ideas maybe.
Anyway!
The gods were miffed at the trickery of Sisyphus (and their own stupidity, no doubt). For eternity (or at least time as in an election year), Sisyphus was made to roll a boulder up a steep hill, but before he could reach the top of the hill, the rock would always roll back down, forcing him to begin again (very much like voting actually). This monotonous craziness of a punishment was especially reserved for Sisyphus due to his making Zeus feel like a chump.
By Micky Dee
Sisyphus
You know I saw Sisyphus today!
Oh did you now? What did he have to say?
He was still going higher and starting lower.
He was cursing and pushing some thing he called a "frickin’ lawn mower"!
Sisyphus: The Early Years
More Poems By Micky Dee!
Clothes Make The Man-I'm A Fraud!
God, Thank You For Bringing Our Soldier Home!
I Sit Here In My Lonely Room
What Really Made You Cry?
Remembering The Past And Missing You
Labels Are Fables! Trashin' Fashion!
Romance Noir
Micky Dee, His Bike, Don Quixote, and Points of Light
Parallel Parking At Eighty Miles An Hour
Check out Sisyphus's
Struggle by Petra!
Comments
AUTHORHi mysterylady! I need to read that. Thank you for the "heads-up". God bless!
I used to teach the essay "The Myth of Sisyphus" by Albert Camus. Have you read it? If not, you should.
A great take on mythology!
- AUTHOR
Hi Londonlady. Thank you. I'm glad you had a good time.
This is cool! Adding the pictures between the lines was a very creative idea, I enjoyed this. :)
- AUTHOR
Hi Peggy! Quite often we think we have too much repetition in our lives. It shouldn't seem this bad. God bless Peggy!
Haha! Greek mythology according to our very own Micky Dee! Loved the first 2 videos. 3rd one got stuck and wouldn't advance for some reason, but I am assuming that was a snowman in the making? Sometimes that uphill struggle can seem overwhelming while the sun and moon keep exchanging places. Hopefully we will all be escorted to a peaceful place someday with no remaining rocks to push uphill. Rated up, funny and useful.
- AUTHOR
Yo ram_m! Thank you for dropping by!
A refreshingly different ode,and the cartoons were equally great as the poem
- AUTHOR
Yo! writinginalaska! I heard it was warm in Alaska all year 'round. Now if I follow you - don't lead me off a cliff!
Very very clever, love the cartoons between the lines. We seem to have the same quirky sense of humor you and I. I'll follow you, if you follow me ;) lvh
- AUTHOR
Thank you Ed! I appreciate your stopping by!
very interesting hub
- AUTHOR
You made me laugh. Thank you "K"!
Great poem, fun and thoughtful, I'm going to commit these lines to memory, to keep handy for a mental push:
"I have to rewind my soul. This rock I have to roll!"
- AUTHOR
We've got to put our shoulders into it pmccray! We might need to dig some foot-holds!
Yess...ahh setting one's own hours. I love this poem and the up hill battle of the pics. I certainly can relate to pushing parts of my life up hill. When I start losing my footing I just dig in a little deeper and lower my shoulder to push again. Too old to give up now!!!
Keep on rollin my friend.
- AUTHOR
Yo MFB Dude! I forgot about the piles of sand! I never experienced that but I heard about it! Semper Fi!
Thank you Sweet Lady Nell! You surprise me too!
Hi, love your slant of mythology! you are certainly busy! I look away for a few minutes and you keep writing! lol cheers nell
I was always a sucker for mythology, and poor sisyphus, much like those sentenced to the brig, who would move a mountain of sand on one day twenty feet to another location, only to move it back again to the same place they started, as an atonement for the wicked things they did. Perhaps our lives are a boulder which we must physically push and shove to the top of endless hills,
failing often but eventually reaching the highest pinnacle and watching it, the wieght of life roll away to some newborn waiting below, as we embrace the heavenly plane we have so desperately sought.~~~Superb write!~~~~~~~~~~~~~MFB III
- AUTHOR
Yo SilentReed! roll a rock with some rock and roll!
Thank you Dim! It's mutual, my Dear!
Oh Micky. You are so funny, but so, so clever. I love the way you see things. x
Roll out the rock and roll ,we're gonna make it after all
life may be a daily struggle,but the finish line is just up ahead.Great hub!
- AUTHOR
You all are so kind to me!
Freya, I'll hold your boulder for you, carry your books to school and whatever else you want my Dear!
Thank you SilverGenes! It's always good to have that hot sauce!
Yo Manlypoetryman! Thank you sir. I await your next edition! God bless!
This Hub covered a lot of ground...and it was all uphill! You got D.C. in there and the working world, Greek Myths...and wrapped up all in MD's thoughts. A very interestingly, entertaining Ode...my friend. I feel like I been re-edumacated all over again...in regards to the myth of Sisyphus. Thanks for the refresher course on Greek Mythology, Sir. You are always interesting to read...Rock on, Micky Dee!
This is hilarious and that's a darn good thing considering all that boulder pushing! Thanks be to the hot sauce!
Something about Greek mythology is it always fit with our story today. And we all are Sisyphus of this real world. Great job, as always! ^_^
Ah, by the way, would you be nice to me, Micky? Please hold my boulder for while, I need to sleep. Hoaheeem!!!
- AUTHOR
DzyMsLizzy! Life's a B then you push a rock up a hill! Self-indulgent ^@(@$$es!
Sisyphus was a turkey wasn't he Valerie!
Billy Brother! God bless you Bro!
Good fun here - feels like every other day sometimes though Micky :)
I always liked Athena and aphropdite. Athena was not born of woman, but sprang from the head of her father, zues. He was my favorite of the guy gods. Sysphus shouldn't have betrayed him. He had that stone rolling thing comin. Ha. (:v
LOL so true---fits right in with "life's a b**, then you die" philosphy. DC self-indulgent morons are the source of the woes of the common man, aka Sysyphus!
Thanks for a very amusing post...
- AUTHOR
Yep! I'm hungry now! I like to heat the peas, throw them on some spinach with some balsamic vinegar. Sometimes humus. The papaya sounds good to. I have some frozen mixed fruit and some is papaya. Hmmmm
gads, feta, a staple with me. did you know if you put those frozen peas to steam and add some of that feta, side it with some of that fish and you got a meal to wallow in. :D you could add a little salad of lettuce, shredded carrots, onion and of corse more feta LOL . yea, food on my brain right now LOL. what i want right now is a nice half of a half ripe papaya with cottage cheese and frozen blue berries in the middle. but i only have the blue berries ~sigh~ ok enough for that o*O ~aloha luv~
- AUTHOR
Yo Maita. Thanks Dear.
Epigramman! You know my poetry isn't as good as yours- so I distract my audience with distractions! Your stuff is FASTER! You laugh quicker and more often!
quite a daring piece of work this is Mister D - Ode to
Syphilis ....... but I hear if you take the proper medication and practice abstinence .....wait - hold on - it's sisyphus - not syphilis - oh well then - that's a different story altogether isn't it -
yes this is another hub of yours - par excellence - I'm lazy - I don't include any graphics, pictures or videos on my hubs - just the scribbles you find in a washroom stall - but you sir - well you write like you ride your bike - fast, efficient, and perfect.
If there's a better hub than this I would never know it.
good job and awesome ode, amusing Sisyphus hehe,
- AUTHOR
Yo blaise! My goodness it's been a little while since I've checked your poems out. I'd better run over to your place and see you. Roll on blaise!
What a freaking Greek myth guy LMAO Sisyphus is such a wise guy and he's always rolling LOL Fun post, Mik :)
- AUTHOR
God bless lorlie! Vince Lombardy is the patron saint of football, right? Thank you Dear!
- AUTHOR
Thank you Prasetio! I just want to be almost as good as you are some day! Take care my friend!
APPLAUSE!!! Wonderful hub, Micky. And you brought Vince Lombardy into full relief!
Thanks for such fun.
- AUTHOR
Yo Poetvix! I am so glad you had a good time God bless you Dear! And- that is one whale of an epic poem you're working on over at your place!
- AUTHOR
Cool beans BobbiRant! Knowing you smiled makes me smile! God bless you Dear!
- AUTHOR
Sa`ge my Dear! That's some cooking mind you have there! My my! You would not believe how I live! I'm healthy and eating pretty well. But I buy mostly spinach, feta cheese, frozen peas, fruit, protein powder, juice, Amy's frozen dinners (veggie), cereal, almond milk, and eat out once a week maybe. I eat fish but I'm mostly veggie. I live on fruit, spirolina, vitamins, supplements, etc. I live alone so I don't do big meals that require a lot of time. I used to have an "inn" and I "helped" cook. I did breakfast every morning when we had guests. But now- It's me and I'm too simple.
Another great hub from you, Micky. I really enjoy this hub. And the cartoons impressed me much. Keep fight for the life and never give up is good to present the pictures, right! I enjoy all the pictures. Keep on cycling and always smile. Cheers....
Prasetio :-)
Good vids. too btw :).
Most clever... thanks for the smiles.
I got such a kick out of this post, it made me smile and believe me, I can sure use one today, and this one made the corners of my mouth turn up. I enjoyed reading this a lot. :0)
oh my Micky hot sauce LOL umm wonder what ou gonna have with that? loved your hub, yo uare a great story teller you know :D love the weave there pulling government into the tapestry. wish i could join you for some of what ever you having with that hot sauce :D it has to be good, after all, look at you :D Try some carrots cut like shoe strings, some shredded cabbage, thin sliced celery, add some croccoli to that stir fry in olive oil with fine chopped garlic and cianne pepper then add some of that hot sauce as desired have with jasmine rice. !aloha nui~
- AUTHOR
Life is redundancy if we can't spice it up. I'm typing and I see what I'm typing but- I'll stay in tonight. I'm Sisyphus a bit. I was trying to have an adventure tonight and go out. Like I'm going to spice up my life! I do have some hot sauce.
So many people are following in his footsteps, oh why can't we just be free to be what we want and oh at best say no to meaningless task which are that dang boulder, in my view... See Ya :)
- AUTHOR
Hi Nellieanna! I had a little help with "hub-karma". I'm failing at it. I have no idea how long that's been around. I actually haven't linked enough other hubs up. "Hub-karma suggested some links and I saw Petra's and I had to read hers then. Petra write so wonderfully! But she's so nice and proper and soulful I would have hooked her up if I didn't like it. But- she's superb! You know- like you!
- AUTHOR
I really don't have much time to talk Petra. I've got this boulder and it needs to be at the top of the hill. I have no idea why. I just know it can't be at the bottom. Give me a little push will ya?
- AUTHOR
Laugh Always Exploring! Enjoy! Tomorrow we have to push that rock up the hill! I sit here in my lonely room. It may as well be my only tomb. What really made "her" cry? You she poke her finger in her eye? My life has perhaps slowed down too much. I'm feeling too much. It's just another weakness in this carnivorous world.
Mickey - thank you for your poetry and story - very well told and pieced together. And thank you for referring me to Petra's poem, which was published before I became a member of HP so I hadn't read it before. Very good!
Hi Micky,
We are the Sisyphus of our time carrying the load of our misery up the hill day after day with little or no hope. It is the punishment we have to endure for being too naive and for not challanging Zeus enough - out of fear or out of blind trust
Thank you for linking my poem - maybe the only solution we have... a sad one, but the only practical one nevertheless
Micky, you are so clever, made me laugh out loud, if that ball had an 8 on it ,i would be behind it. It,s so funny how you always connect your subjects to washington, you have a gift, well done.
Cheers and God ,s Speed
and Micky, everytime i click on, i sit here in my lonely room, what really made you cry comes up, iv,e tried it several places, not just today
- AUTHOR
Howdy zzron!
Interesting hub bub. LOL.
- AUTHOR
Cool beans Darling Darlene! It paints the picture of a lot of lives or a lot of chores.
OMG this is so hilarious, I lmao, this is like my day for the past ten years ha! Really cleaver my friend, this is what should bestow upon the folks in DC....yup, that's what I think...rate up and all the above, really great hub
60