The weight of the world on your shoulders

The slow crush

Day after Day

Minute to minute

Forever into eternity

The weight of the world on your shoulders

Except the Earth is beneath your feet

Beautiful blue sky above

People, people all around

Atlas was so big

Atlas bumped his head on the sky

Atlas was so strong

Atlas pushed the sky higher

People could build

People could grow

The weight of the world on your shoulders

People build

Atlas stood taller

People reached for the sky

Atlas stood on his toes

Atlas could be no taller

People bumped their heads on the sky

The sky shifted

Poor precarious Atlas

Wobble wobble

Driven to a knee

Atlas collapsed

People screaming

Atlas caught the sky

People cried out

Atlas felt for them

Atlas smiled for them

Atlas heaved with all he had

The sky flew high above

Atlas lay on his back

For one moment

For one moment

Atlas felt weightless

Atlas closed his eyes

Atlas exhaled

The sky fell

Atlas bent his knees

Atlas raised his hands

Atlas caught the sky

Atlas held the sky

It was beautiful

He watched the clouds

He sang with the birds

Atlas did not move

Weight of the sky

Earth at his back

Atlas shut his eyes

Atlas was still

People built

Earth shifted

Ages piled upon him

Earth covered him

Earth held the sky

Stuck

Constricted

His labor shifting

His labor was his breath