#brshutt

(art by rockgem)

That evil day, Icarus found That he was falling to the ground And now, the all expansive blue Before him grew, and grew, and grew

The wax dipp'd feathers on his arms Tore hair from skin, and did him harm And left him, skywards fading fast; Betrayed him as to earth he crashed

Daedalus, loyal father turned His face away as child burned In dreadful glory as he spun Beneath the stolid, midday sun

And thus cried out the cursed youth And nothing could his terror soothe And wished that prison never fled For better chained than free and dead

But hark! The Sun did stir, and sigh, And spake, "Oh man, why do you cry?" Icarus said, "Cannot you see, That I am falling to the sea?

These feathers bore me up in flight Until I, proud, basked in thy light For once was I in prison bound But woe! For now shall I be drowned."

“Be peace, oh man, although you fall For now a secret I will tell: One thing did not the jailer take, Nor I, though your devices bake.

We did not take your will to stay Alive, to see another day, And now you fall, and you will die But you are able, so must try

With all that heaven calls your own To keep these skies in which you’ve flown To grasp them with your mortal hand And mortal foot on clouds to stand.”

Icarus counselled thus resolved While he celestially revolved Though it were vanity to try To spread his wingless arms and fly

Daedalus looked upon his heir, Who with loud tremors clawed the air And hid again when son did break Upon the water’s cruel wake

Oh! Son of craftsman, though you left Your father of his son bereft And though you plunged a fatal mile While you sank, the gods did smile

For foolish man, in your last hour Did the bud of wisdom flower And did Thanatos’ staff defy For love of father, sun, and sky