These two poems retell the Myth of Sisyphus through the symbol of salmon swimming upstream.  Like Sisyphus, these creatures return, year after year, generation after generation, to continue swimming through toil in order that this cycle may continue to perpetuate itself.  Rather than seeing this as a negative pursuit, as Sisyphus’ climb is often cast, these poems choose to see the cyclical rise and fall of salmon as inspiring and indicative of the power of evolution towards the continuation of life on earth.