with a surge of naval trade

                                                and brought it wealth

                                    I built it ships

                        I made the city great again

            King of Corinth

I was the greatest

                                                            to display my strength

                                                and ruled with vicious blows

                                    for my private gain

                        I killed travellers

            were not my concern

Greek customs of courtesy

                                                            then the angry war god struck

                                                for a long time no one died

                                    and locked him up instead

                        I asked him to demonstrate

            with his metal chains

when death came to fetch

                                                            and I lived another age

                                                Hades to amerce her

                                    Persephone let me leave

                        my body left exposed

            the usual sacrifice

I made my wife not perform

                                                            each morning I begin to roll

                                                not knowing that I love my work

                                    with they think a futile task

                        for ever cheating death

            now the gods punish me

till death came a second time

                                                                        I reach the summit

                                                            rugged burly brawn

                                                muscles taut, developing                   

                                    of potent sinews straining

                        delighting in the feeling

            the boulder up the hill

                                                            and trick the gods again
                                                this mighty feat

                                    I’ll achieve once more

                        so in the coming day

            the rock back down the hill

before the night then nudge

Rohan Buettel lives in Canberra, Australia. His haiku have appeared in various Australian and international journals (including Frogpond, Cattails and The Heron’s Nest). His longer poetry recently appears in Quibble; The Goodlife Review, Rappahannock Review, Penumbra Literary and Art Journal, Mortal Magazine, Passengers Journal, Reed Magazine, Meniscus and Quadrant.