The Farthest Horizon

The sad carry a weight that cannot be measured by any scale

Their backs bent over, shoulders bowed, plodding slowly

Heads tilted up and eyes straight forward

Beasts of burden with a destination only they can see.

~

Not all the sad are depressed.

The depressed lose hope of the light,

While the sad see hope on a dim horizon,

Faint glow of a rising sun blocked by shadows.

~

The farthest horizon is the one you will never give up trying to reach.

Though sadness drags like weights of lead you pull through viscous mud,

Each step sucking you deeper, you go on

So you never lose sight of the goal.

~

Like Sisyphus pushing that rock up the hill

Only to have it roll back to the start

One more beginning, one more step

Sadness bears down but the sad bear it and push on.

~

For even Sisyphus has hope that just once in eternity

The rock will stay at its apex

And once is enough

To let it go and run down that hill, his burden left behind.

~

The sad have faith in trying.

They strive to reach that far horizon

And see the sun rise

To it’s full luminant glory.

~

The sad push that rock, trudge through mud, carry the weight

For us all

Inspired by a hope

That the sun rises

Not by random chance

Nor by divine will

Or even the laws of physics,

But by their unending quest for enlightenment

That lights up

Every place of darkness

In the world

Where men block out the sun

Believing their shadows

To be real.