i’m a modern day icarus
always flying too close to the sun.
not because of human hubris
but because i long for your warmth.
because what is life in this dark city
without your light?
i’d build a thousand false idols
if it meant bringing you back to life.
i’d fashion you out of clay
and plead for the gods themselves
to give a chance at rebirth.
i’d search for you for an eternity
and then some
if it meant proving
that you were still alive.
i’d turn back time
and make it so we never met
so you could never pick up the mantle
that was meant to be mine.
i’d give you all my memories in place of yours
and rescue you from hell myself
if it meant i didn’t lose the family
that i’ve always been so hesitant
to accept as mine.
Author's Note: This poem was originally part of my Batman-based NaPo collection from this past April. If you want the context for this character poem, you can check out the explanation at the end of the poem here!
Hello! I think that this poem nicely portrays Tim’s angst towards his role as Robin. My favorite lines were ”because what is life in this dark city without your light?” This single question alone shows how he feels about the shrouded in darkness Batman.
But are you also writing a brief section with Batman’s perspective? Would Batman have wished he didn’t have a Robin to share his pain?
I wish you a lovely day/night!
Hello, Mage! I said I would read this poem, and here I am! And may I say, it didn't disappoint.
First, I adore using Greek myth as metaphors (most recognizably Icarus and Sisyphus for me), so reading another work that did so made me incredibly excited to see what you did with it. And the way you've used is a spin that I don't see too often, so it made it even better. Using Icarus as a love story rather than a story of hubris added this tang of tragedy that the everyday use of the myth couldn't do. Now, on to some of my favourite parts.
i'd turn back time
and make it so we never met
so you could never pick up the mantle
that was meant to be mine.
if it meant i didn't lose the family
that i've always been so hesitant
to accept as mine.
i'd build a thousand false idols
if it meant bring you back to life.
I didn't read the context for this poem because I wanted to go in blind, so I could be wrong here, but this ending deromanticizes the love that this poem is about. And I adore that. There aren't too many pieces that focus on how much familial love can burn too, so if that was your intention, I love that you did it here.
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