Just like the birds

· by · in flashfiction, Friday Fictioneers, poetry. ·


Below, he’s tethered by confusion of my walls, that beast is lost to the intricacy of labyrinths. I hold his secret and for this I’m kept imprisoned here.

The seaways are controlled and every ship is searched. How can we leave this Island, son?

If just we could, soar like birds, my son, if we just had wings.

But see these feathers, and bring me wax. I am the greatest engineer alive. I know the secrets and I can make us wings, dear son. Let’s leave for Sicily. Let’s leave this tyranny.

But dear Icarus: You cannot touch the sun.


I could not see anything else than the the wings of Daedalus and Icarus in the image. Daedalus supposedly built the labyrinth for the Minotaur, but was imprisoned so he couldn’t tell the secret. The rest of the story is more well known I think. Icarus flew too high and fell into the sea and drowned.

Friday Fictioneer is a community of bloggers who write stories every week to the same image. All is under the diligent stewardship of Rochelle Wisoff-Fields, and there are many other wonderful authors there.


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December 9, 2015

55 responses to “Just like the birds”

  1. It didn’t take me long to figure out this was about Icarus…for me one of my favorite myths, and so relevant. Really like this one. But that poor, pathetic bird in the photo???

  14. This poem makes me sick because to me, it’s about a family member who molested his son for a number of years. So obviously, I’m tearing up.

    In the end, I think the boy couldn’t take it anymore and he killed himself to get away from his father. This is such a spot-on metaphor, especially the way it’s written from the father’s point of view, as if he almost sees himself as a brilliant man, almost a god. He doesn’t see himself as a bad guy. In fact, it’s almost as if he’s presenting his son with some sort of “enlightenment.” Again, this makes me sick … but because of the story I see; your writing is excellent, as always.

  17. Brilliant connection to Icarus and Daedalus. I love that myth… though it doesn’t end happily. And Fae’s interpretation is interesting. Makes me want to go back and read it again keeping her observation in mind.

  22. I didn’t know he was connected to the labyrinth.
    I found this quite powerful, and knowing as we do what happens next your last line was perfect.

  24. I like how you’ve focused on the moment when the idea of escape occurs, and I like your use of Daedalus’s voice and viewpoint. Some lovely phrases in the first paragraph: ‘tethered by confusion of my walls’ and ‘lost to the intricacy of labyrinths’. Great language.

  30. The story of Icarus is a bit of an extended metaphor unto itself, isn’t it … probably why so many count it as a favorite Greek legend.

    “But dear Icarus: You cannot touch the sun.” A very cool line. It really makes the point, so succinctly, I think. It should probably be incorporated in the popular lexicon of language with quotes like: “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.” or “”Go ahead, make my day.” Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a better line to summon forth – when one wants to underscore a doomed initiative – than: “Dear Icarus: You cannot touch the sun”. I may just take to using it myself – ha!

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