That is how the story goes
His wings of wax that melted
When he flew too close to the sun
But who told Icarus’s story?
If he was dead and gone?
How do we know what happened is true?
How do we know it is not a false tale told by the survivor
Covering up his crime?
Daedalus lived while his son died
He told the story as a warning
To all the youth who would fall ever after
He was the one who survived
So he told the tale
Of a boy who wouldn’t listen
And paid for his mistake
But what if Icarus paid the price for something else entirely?
What if he heard or saw something he shouldn’t have?
What if, instead of falling, he was pushed?
How do we know the story is true
When all we have is the word of the survivor?
How are we supposed to learn the other side of the story?
When the other side is gone?
How are we sure what we have been told is true
When history could be twisted?
Do we know that Icarus flew?
Or do we know what we have been told?
Do we know that he was happy before his fall
Or do we know what was said?
How do we know that Icarus was loved?
When all we have is his father’s word
The father who built the wings that melted
After all, history isn’t written by the dead
--Helen T., 9th-12th Grade