I marveled at how much bigger than me he was, the way
he took up space in a room; not just physically, but
demeanor and wits, always two steps ahead. A protector
to everyone he met, carrying those who could no
longer walk. 

I stared at the breadth of his shoulders, miles apart like twin
peaks of a mountain that could only be created by Zeus himself.
He carried his hurt like a boulder, pushed it up his back until
it reached the tip of his shoulders; watched as it cascaded
to the bottom like Sisyphus. 

Each time it fell back, he remained undefeated; stacking
the woes of others like pebbles along his way up. No amount
of weight could break his back despite the times his knees
buckled; no affliction stagnated him, even as he crawled
through the glass up top.

He bore every boulder and rock bestowed upon him as though
they were feathers, and once he reached the summit, down
they fell again, another pile waiting at the base.