Icarus flew too close to the sun and pulverized himself.
When I heard the story,
I asked Daedalus
for wings of my own
and said,
I can do better.
When I returned home,
my mother noticed
I wasn’t sleeping.
I told her,
My eyes are stuck on the midnight sun.
My lover said
he hated seeing me
fade into the brightness,
and I wondered
if he knew
what it felt like to fly.
As the fevers came,
and I felt chills
rattle my bones,
I glared into the sunlight
and said to myself,
That is a warm thing. Fly closer.
Now I lay still
with everything
in a strange sense of stagnation
and I know:
This is what it feels like to burn.
Sarah Ruth Penna enjoys writing as a creative process that feels intuitive and free. Her debut poetry collection, Secret Alphabets, was released in June 2026 with Metaphysical Fox Press. She is a monthly contributor to the website Hey Young Writer, the Outdoor Experience Manager at Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, and owns a small business, Hyacinth House Arts & Wellness. In her free time she enjoys photography, making collages, singing, and spending time outside. Her poetry is deeply influenced by the New England Transcendentalists, Mary Oliver, levi the poet, mythology, nature, chronic illness, & her Italian-American heritage. Her daily life is a synergy of Nature, Art, and Community. She lives in gratitude, overlooking Cedar Lake in Sturbridge, MA.
Featured image by Mehdi Sepehri on Unsplash.
