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23 Aug: "Waiting for Icarus" by Muriel Rukeyser

He said he would be back and we'd drink wine together
He said that everything would be better than before
He said we were on the edge of a new relation
He said he would never again cringe before his father
He said that he was going to invent full-time
He said he loved me that going into me
He said was going into the world and the sky
He said all the buckles were very firm
He said the wax was the best wax
He said Wait for me here on the beach
He said Just don't cry

I remember the gulls and the waves
I remember the islands going dark on the sea
I remember the girls laughing
I remember they said he only wanted to get away from me
I remember mother saying : Inventors are like poets,
                                                                           a trashy lot
I remember she told me those who try out inventions are worse
I remember she added : Women who love such are the worst of all
I have been waiting all day, or perhaps longer.
I would have liked to try those wings myself.
It would have been better than this.

1 comment:

  1. Who is the narrator? This doesn't fit to the story I know of Icarus flying to close to the sun. The inventor is Daedelous (spelling) but who is remembering and waiting for Icarus? It mentions a mother, but could narrator be Icarus' mother? That's the o ly thing that makes sense. How did she get to the island? Or is she clueless and just waiting.

    The idea that waiting for someone who might not be coming is worse than what happens to the person is interesting. People always assume their pains and struggles are worse. In the case of losing a child or never knowing, I don't know ow if I'd prefer an early death from being reckless to losing a loved one. Not that I know such sarrows, but I lean towards life.

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