Sisyphus

There's
emptiness in my eyes,
fire in my nose
and
drink in my gut.

Now if you were to
say to me, "Hello,"
I would surely answer
back brightly,
but the incoherent
reply may offend and affront.

There's
cobwebs in my
mind, dust on
my glasses and
burn-marks on my
cheeks.

Now if you were to
address me for who I
am,
and not for
who I look like,
I would surely greet
you cordially
and shake your hand.

My body has
kinks, my
legs have too many joints
and my wrists
are killing me.

However, if you
were to examine
my specimen you would
find no
outward dermal
affliction nor
internal infarction.

I've been called noble
but my sense
of Southern Chivalry
sometimes fails me.
I've been called interesting
but sometimes
inner deadening is necessary
and my
mouth just isn't such a
fount
for a time.

Though I have been cursed
for believing myself clever,
when I get the boulder near the top,
and it begins to
roll back down,
I notice how much farther
I pushed it
this
time.