Modern Day Sisyphus

Modern Day Sisyphus (PMxxiii)

He walked beside the old man

and he marvelled at him each

day he was there.

His hair was white, tinges of

grey meeting long sideburns

streaming down to the chin to

meet more grey stubble which

must have grown half an inch

immediately after shaving.

He was a hunchback, Quasimodo

letter carrier with an actual hump

that reached and crossed

over his neck. He walked as

though one leg was one foot

shorter than the other,

always at the same pace, his

head comically bobbing with a

permanent shit-eating grin

etched on his lips.

He didn't speak much but

when he did, saliva would

fly between sentences making

people keep at least a three foot

barrier to stay dry.

He didn't move quickly

but he made progress

making a limp seem like a

normal gait.

His hands sorted mail like

a machine, carpal tunnel

syndrome had set in but he

adapted his movement of the

gnarled claws to get the

letters where they were

supposed to go.

One day he watched him

change his socks before heading

out,

his feet were almost black

surrounded by huge yellow

toenails that passed the edges

of his toes making his feet one

size larger. Arches had disappeared

and callouses and skin had become

one, all at once looking brittle

enough to break but in reality

as hard as the thickest leather

soul.

He ate a cheese and onion sandwich

before leaving,

same thing everyday, no teeth

evident,

younger men would complain of aches

and pains, and take sick days for

sniffle,

he would hear, and smirk with contempt.

MCC