“the forgotten sides of the myths”
by Zoe Mason-Darnell
People forget:
Icarus knew what he was doing.
He knew the wax
Would melt.
He knew his wings
Would burn.
His father, a scientist,
loved his son.
He made sure
Icarus was safe and not stupid.
Still,
The boy looked out the window,
Freedom on the tip of his tongue,
And he dreamed.
He dreamed of touching the sunlight,
Of holding the clouds in his palms.
And, well,
can you blame a boy
for chasing his dreams?
People forget:
Medusa was a victim.
How could she defy a god’s wishes?
Even if those wishes hurt her,
Even if she did not want it,
She could not refuse.
Athena knew this, too.
She knew what happened,
The pain that comes,
When you told a god no.
So she made sure that Medusa
Was never forced to agree,
Even when faced with a god.
Look upon this woman,
Forced
into a place
she did not desire,
And then blamed
by everyone.
Was Athena’s punishment
Really a curse?
How can you call protection against the greedy,
against those who take
and take,
a curse?
People forget:
Pandora was merely a woman.
They say she was created with evil in mind,
They say her purpose was a misfortune.
They do not mention that the gods gave her the box.
They gave it to her,
And told her not to open it.
That’s all.
They never said anything about
Grief or sorrow or mischief.
They just gave her a box
And said to keep it close.
Have you ever been told not to do something?
I bet you have,
And I know you’ve done it.
So how can you blame Pandora for doing
What you yourself would have done?
Here’s a few more things people forget:
Icarus was locked in a tower for his entire life.
A cage he was in because of his father,
And the only way out he knew,
Was down.
Medusa didn’t want to kill those heroes.
They hunted her down,
They tried to kill her because she had the audacity
To exist.
You too would grow tired of that hatred.
When Pandora opened that box,
She let out many things.
Grief, sorrow, anguish.
But she also let out
hope.