Leila Metres

Grade: 11

Hawken School

Instructor: Ailey Picasso

Myths & Muses

Poetry

Myths & Muses

letter to zeus, from pandora

look, i get it. i fucked up. but how
can you blame me? you knew
how bad i wanted to. you knew
it wasn't ever about you. it wasn't
even about what was underneath
the lid. all i wanted was to finally see
something for myself. zeus, i swear
all my life people wanted me for all the
wrong reasons. i make grown men
cry with my beauty alone and you knew
i never wanted that. i wanted to know
i had the power to do something
not because someone wanted me
to but because i wanted to. so zeus,
look, i get it. i screwed up. but how
did you think this would end? you were
the one who bound my wings. you were
the one who made me want to fly.

forever, your icarus

together we built soaring wings made of
wax, crafted them to fit perfectly on our
backs, worked the hot wax into bones filled
with cracks and made promises that felt
so unbreakable / i swear that we were

unbreakable so long i just got used to
your body, the feel of your arms wrapped
around me—baby, i never even needed
the wings when i had you here to hold me
for 485 days / i loved you like summer

could've lasted years in the absence of
sun, ever since we met i knew you were
the one i would never forget, forgive me
but my name is icarus and daedalus only
wished to feel this much / the way i love

i dreamed of a future you existed in but the
truth is you're the sun, i'm addicted and the
wings we built won't be able to hold when
they're handmade of the hope you'll always
love me like i will love you / forever,
your icarus.

tragedy of achilles

oh, tragedy of achilles
love me only to leave me crying
cursing your name wondering
how i ever believed it when
you said you'd never leave

oh, it's sick loving achilles
hurt me slowly leave me lying
here in a haze of pleasure
it might be in my head again
but at least i'm not pretending
to be somebody i never was

oh, you're not my achilles
you're a reminder not to let
myself show my weaknesses
to someone worldly as you then
i don't regret all of the poems
but i can't love like that again

oh, i don't believe in achilles
you loved me godly left me trying
to live in a world you tore apart
in front of my own damn eyes
but go and touch my body now
if you reopen my scars you'll find
i'm filled with inky cold this time.