In Greek mythology, Icarus is the son of the labyrinth creator Daedalus. In order to escape the tower within the labyrinth, Daedalus designed wings for flight, but these wings were constructed with wax and feathers, unable to withstand high temperatures. Therefore, Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too low, lest the sea dampen the wings, or too high, lest the heat of the sun melt them. However, the young Icarus, enamored with the joy of flying for the first time, flew higher and higher, dangerously close to the sun. The wings melted, and he fell into the sea and drowned.This fable is often used to caution against hubris, but within it, I find a tragic aesthetic, a tension between desire and reason, and an exploration of the meaning of life. If we embrace our ultimate dreams, even unto death, and die in the happiness of fulfilled desires, then perhaps our lives are like amber, frozen in a moment of bloom.