Poetry: Terms

Terms

Abraham and Daedalus went out to lunch one day

and Isaac joined them late.

Where’s Icarus, he asked as he sat

and the fathers looked at each other, embarrassed and awkward.

Glad you could be here, Isaac, Daedalus told him, it’s good to see you.

Thanks, replied the boy, confused,

but where’s Icarus? I thought he was coming along.

He couldn’t make it, both fathers said,

he couldn’t be here today.

Abraham, Daedalus started, your boy’s grown up well.

Obedient, honors his father.

Yes, Abraham agreed, honors his Father.

I do, Isaac managed, knowing by now he was missing something,

but he thought it had something to do with maybe

that day they didn’t like to mention

when he found he wasn’t first in his daddy’s heart or mind,

that maybe he was expendable.

He took a sip of water and they all went silent.

Icarus, Daedalus broke in, had an accident. You see, Isaac,

he couldn’t listen like yhou. He didn’t want to listen to me,

and he told the boy the story of the wings.

Icarus! Isaac thought,

Your own terms, Icarus. You flew out on your own terms

and faced your own consequences.

— Honorable Mention: 2007 ECC Student Literary Competition Anthology