Recording of My Poem, “Icarus”

Posted on by

feather02-2

 


Icarus

Currents of breath, the slight curve and lift
within a single motion, once

poised then released as if to say
the wind is mine, or wait,
I am alone –

the story we most fear, not height nor gravity’s
fist, but to exist apart, shadow and

mouth, rain and smile, feather
and sun, all denials reciprocal,

each tied fast and renewed.

sun

“Icarus” first appeared here in April 2016, and subsequently was published in The Basil O’Flaherty in November 2016.

32 thoughts on “Recording of My Poem, “Icarus””

  3. Beautimous! I loved it the first time, and now love it all the more that I’ve heard it in your voice!

    Your Icarus, I think, is as much a hero for flouting “the story we most fear…,” as Hamlet is a coward for being stultified by what amounts to rationalization-on-steroids: “dread of something after death,/ The undiscovered country, from whose bourn/ No traveller returns, puzzles the will,/ And makes us rather bear those ills we have/ Than fly to others that we know not of…”

    The take-away? I’m asking myself, on the one hand, what outcome should I expect of flying toward the sun with wings fashioned of wax, and on the other, what should I hope to gain by clinging fast to solid ground? Hmm…

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

  6. This brings an interesting thought, to face fear and discover it is only an observation that inspires more questions than answers, with no point of reference that can be shared.
    I enjoyed the reading, Bob.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

  10. It’s a first (for me) hearing you read – I’m not sure how to describe the sensation but it’s as if you bring a soft ‘lift’ to the words, a flutter that starts to shimmer around the edges. There’s a magic in these pauses between the stanzas and words.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

    • I like to consider the poem’s line breaks and spaces as representing, almost, a musical score, in that pauses are implied, though perhaps more subtle, or even less so, than the page indicates. Still, it’s a start. But I must admit that every reading differs…

      Like

      Reply ↓

  13. You’re very kind. Sound is an important part of my process – I recite these as I write them, and as a consequence line breaks are often placed to indicate pauses or to illuminate shifts in rhythm and flow.

    Like

    Reply ↓

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.