somewhere above the mediterranean sea

Ari Curran

With arms raised, as if to touch sky

he falls. Icarion and perfect,

golden skin refracting the evening-bent

sunlight. That skin is warm,

not quite reddened but teetering

on the edge of it. How can this,

so picturesque

that could almost see the brushstrokes,

topple?

The salt spray is a relief only found

in dreams. Surrender, gently,

to this wonder of seafoam

and scales. Maybe here,

in prisms of jasper and lapis

there is quiet.

Maybe here, there is

something worth falling

towards.

Cyprus Whitaker

Biography: I use art as a way to destress and express myself, I hope you enjoy my creations

Ari Curran

Biography: Ari is a Natural Resources major with a minor in Writing, and hails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their poetry is heavily influenced by, and steeped in their love for, the places and people they have met all across the country. Queer identity, mythos, and gritty details are some of their favorite themes to explore. They are also very passionate about working with other writers, and delight in time spent in workshop and classes.

Artist Statement: What are myths except a vessel for our shared visions of the world? This poem is a reimagining of the narrative of Icarus’s fall, which explores a brief moment of what may have come at the end of that story. Its two long stanzas match this narrative structure and mirror the two-act format of many plays. The focus on a single motif brings a sense of expansiveness to the work, allowing it to speak to the leaps of faith present throughout our lives as well as their mythological counterparts.