Seventy Times

Seventy Times

How many trips up this hill

Carrying rocks some enormous some small as a pill

It’s my penance for doing wrong

But why oh Lord why for so long

Forever seems so extreme 

Eternity no please I continue to scream

At last I’ve reached the top I can drop my load

No please no they’ve rolled to the bottom my head’s going to explode

Dante must find this terribly amusing

The constant torture my mind terrified yet still musing

Why couldn’t I just do what He asked 

Now forever am I endlessly tasked 

I’m sorry seventy times or was it sixty

No maybe a million it doesn’t matter exactly 

I didn’t forgive my mind was selfishly closed

Stranded now forever I try to leave and am refused 

Why didn’t I listen to that Kind Man

What was His Name now forever gone out of mind what a horrific conundrum 

Gone is everything I knew and ever wanted 

Oh what I’d give to not be eternally stranded 

Sorry sorry sorry the only words I can mutter

My body overwhelmed yet only this can I muster

The strength to go back down and once again begin 

Begin loading up the rocks in my sack for the infinite-th time the climb again 

Amen

JFFIII 3/5/23