A year ago, I wrote a poem about Sisyphus, inspired by the Greek myth of the gods condemning Sisyphus to ceaselessly try to roll a heavy rock to the top of the mountain, only to fall back down again.
Today, I still find myself breaking my back rolling stones, and probably will for the rest of my life. But ultimately: “The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus is happy.”
- - -
Sisyphus
weekdays we're packed into spaceships,
travelling near the speed of light.
within the fast-paced nine to five,
time grows slothful and tortoiselike.
thank god it's friday.
living for the elusive weekends;
the public holidays, annual leaves,
vacations and staycations.
feeling alive
less than half of the time.
condemned for our eternity,
to break backs rolling stones,
against cruel fate,
and a downward acceleration of 9.8;
only to fall harder,
than the apple he never ate.
the universe throws laughter,
rivers stream with lemon-water.
someone once told me,
"to survive you must develop
a masochistic tendency"
towards what, i did not know.
perhaps, lemons and apples.
suicide?
there's no time, no compassion,
or legislation for that.
wishing to sleep, forever,
in cryonics' tombs,
for a warmer future,
in which darkness doesn't loom.
nonetheless, amidst this absurdity,
one must believe,
Sisyphus is happy.
myself, i rest in peace;
knowing i'll soon
return to death's tomb.
for someday, i'll stop thinking,
and therefore, like them,
i will cease to be.
Our last day in Okinawa. Today we went to a sacred place of worship where the ryukyu kingdom kings and priestesses of the past and even some people today make pilgrimages to. Love how the focus is on respect for nature. We also went to cape chinen park to chill and a hedgehog cafe!
⠀
I didn’t expect to love Okinawa as much as I do. Okinawa is that mixed chinese-japanese heritage girl who sits at the back of the class. She is familiar yet refreshing. She is someone whom you’d easily look past, but once you get to know her sanshin-playing, pork tamago onigiri and blue seal ice cream-eating, snake alcohol-drinking, sunshine beach-loving side, it’s hard to turn back, except to Okinawa. #OkWeNua
