Bound in Chains

By Sunavya Kaur Pahwa

The chains rattled as I shook them, 

Burning into my skin as I pushed against them... 

I watched as the puny mortal fled from the scene, 

The river of hate and detestation, the only thing in between... 

Am I capable of calling the mortal named Sisyphus puny? 

When I was tricked by the loony... 

A God, a powerful being, stuck in chains of his own, 

What will now happen remains unknown... 

Sisyphus had escaped, not only one God, but two, 

The God of Death and the Ruler of the Underworld, who I ensue... 

It is a feeling of shame that washes over me, 

I register the laughter and mockery of the beings overseas... 

The man tricked me, and the Gods are livid to say the least, 

But alas, from these cruel chains I cannot be released... 

When another Godly being would come to let me free, 

The same for myself even I cannot guarantee... 

I try my best, to fight through the ugly binding, 

But the searing pain on my immortal body has my teeth grinding... 

A God could never feel powerless! A God could never be tied up! 

But here I am, chained up in place of a mere anthrop... 

How I wish to be free of this humiliation, 

But no immortal or mortal knows of my location… 

I wonder how long stuck here I shall be, 

Hopefully, someone is able to foresee... 

Am I here for eternity? Will I be stuck forever? Is this it?

Chained to this place in the webs of embarrassment, I’ve been tightly knit... 

My revenge I will take from the mortal, 

Cackling and declaring his victory, he ran through the narrow portal...  

Death will reach him; its tendrils will search far and wide, 

And his punishments will be all mine to decide... 

Only when I get out of these fetters will I be able to punish him,

So once again, I push on the bonds to break free my limbs...

When I extend my ears to the outside world and listen, 

I hear agony of Ares, angered that soldiers hadn’t died since I was in this prison… 

So to free me, he came and broke these chains, 

Now when I stand upright, the broken shackles are like remains…

Let me tell you the story of the vile man who had enchained me, 

He tricked Hades and the Underworld he flee…

The complaints of incorrect burial rites, he had put on for a show,

Just like that, out of the underworld, he had skipped like a pro…

Then after a long time, when I went to him for his soul,

He encased in those horrible irons my body whole… 

Finally now that I have caught the cheating man,

As I drag him back, his punishments I begin to plan…

Hades commanded, “Choose how you would penalize the being for his deed,”

“He pushes a bolder up a hill and reaching the top, it rolls down with speed…” 

Finally to the destined spot in Tartarus the man vanishes,

Happily I smile when I hear his screams of damages… 

By Sunavya Kaur Pahwa