The Ballad of Icarus
The Ballad of Icarus
Mark Lewis & Craig Coulter
©1983 Mark Lewis
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Held captive in the castle of King Minos,
Surrounded by a field of hyacinth.
Were Deadalus and Icarus -
The man and the son of the man who built the Labyrinth.
“The Minotaur is dead and Theseus has fled!”
King Minos raged, “Bring Deadalus to me!”
“I've been betrayed by friend and kin,”
“Someone must pay for this Athenian's victory!”
Imprisoned for immemorial time,
Beneath an endless sky.
“We can't escape,” said Icarus.
“The walls are much too high.”
“Only the birds are truly free...”
A gleam came to his eye.
“‘Tis madness for us to dream of flight!”
“‘Tis folly not to try!”
Beeswax and feathers, leather thongs and strings.
Hour slipped through hour as they toiled within the tower.
Until they had constructed two pairs of fragile wings!
“Before we leave this prison tower,
To tread upon the god's own sky.
A word of warning would I give -
Fly not too low. Fly not too high!”
“The moment we trade earth for air,
You'll feel the wind full-fill your wings.
Beware the ocean's misty grasp!
The waves reach up and moisture clings,
And leaden-feathered you will fall!
My son take heed and shun these things.”
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“Yet far above the ocean's threat,
A danger worse! Beware the sun!
Our wings so fragile will not hold,
The heat will cause the wax to run, my son…”
“Don't go near the sun! Don't go near the sun!
Don't go near the sun! You're bound to fall!
Don't go near the sun! Don't go near the sun!
Don't go near the sun! You'll lose it all!”
The wonder of the sky had filled him!
He did not hear his father's words
And as his heart soared, so did he!
Deadalus watched him join the birds!
He was free!
His father joined him in the air.
At last they had mastered the mystery of flight!
Deadalus soared with the grace of a seabird,
While Icarus flew like a moth toward the light!
They flew past the clouds!
They ascended the heavens!
Their hearts beating faster,
They sang through the air!
Past the gates of euphoria!
“Icarus...”
They flew above!
“Icarus!”
And higher still,
“Icarus!”
They flew until...
“ICARUS!”
“FATHER!”
He watched him fall!
Like a butterfly wingless …
Like a puppet left string less …
He watched him fall.
Deadalus flew to the place on the ocean.
Shed tears on his only son's grave.
Marked only by feathers blowing over the waters
And islands of beeswax afloat on the waves.