An Elegy for Icarus

you were always one to reach for the stars

your dad gave you wings and

hoped you’d be content with the sky

he was afraid

he’d lived long enough to see

young boys like you

set their sights on the

North Star only

to become a lost boy

who would never land

yes, Daedalus had seen

smart little boys like you

tumble into a grave of

seaweed and coral with

a weight on their back

but Daedalus knew that

a dreamer like you

would not be happy at an

altitude any lower than the clouds

your dad knew the world was afraid

of you

of your flight

of your dream to reach the stars

your dad knew the world would

try to tether you to the ground

you were a threat

a reminder of the brightness

that only you could reach

that could only be seen in

the reflection in your eyes

you never could believe that

the world was big enough

for you

that the sky and the heavens

were not made

for you

the world always said

reach for the stars, boy

and so you did

never mind that it wasn’t said

to you

Daedalus lost you as

you flew towards the star

closest to Earth and

tumbled into a grave of

seaweed and coral with

a weight on your back

a lost boy