"Where Are the Superheroes?"

I’ve always enjoyed the superheroes,

Someone to come and save the day,

Whenever there was trouble brewing,

They knew what to do and what to say,

I admired them because they stood for justice,

They protected man, woman, and child,

Evil was always stopped and punished,

It was never allowed to just run wild,

But while a child the world was my own,

In my imagination I was big and strong,

Evil was given no chance to stick around,

 I could change anything that went wrong,

As I grew older I could see the world needed heroes,

For few walked among us helping the abused,

And sometimes, to make matters even worse,

The heroes were there among those accused,

I determined that I would do my very best,

And as a parent I was a superhero for just a while,

But only because my children believed in me,

I could wipe away tears and bring back a smile,

But I could not rescue them from the trauma of divorce,

Nor could I keep the outside world from coming in,

I tried, but the world had found my kryptonite,

And I was doomed to watch the Joker’s grin,

Discouragement, doubt, I was powerless in time’s grasp,

The glitter of the world took my children from my side,

I could not protect them and keep them from pain,

They were being pulled away from shore by an awful tide,

They made their mistakes but found their way back,

But they had changed as much as changed can be,

 No longer were they naïve and innocent,

It was even worse, they were more like me,

I’m not a superhero, that is plain to see,

Evil forces are there and I cannot hold them back,

I’ve found that I can’t even rescue myself,

Many times I’ve tried, but there are powers I lack,

I must confess I’m under stress, to see the world so torn,

Where are the superheroes that will show to save the day?

Are they just imaginary like those in my childhood world?

Or must we all be heroes to keep from falling under evil’s sway?

Christmas is not a Time for Peace

Christmas is not a Time for Peace

Christmas is not a time for peace,

But a time for waging war,

There are homeless in the trenches,

Amid the blood and gore,

So go where you’ve never been,

Let your kindness roar,

Who will heed the cries for help,

From the meek and mild?

Who will force the abusers away,

From the defenseless child?

Go where you’ve never been,

Let your conscience run wild,

Christmas is not a time for peace,

But a time to speak out,

Against laxity, oppression, discrimination,

And without any doubt,

Against poverty, waste, disease, and crime,

The four horsemen of death,

This day should be a day to battle,

Until the last fleeting breath,

Do what you’ve never done,

Until the battle’s won,

Let the battle cries ring loud and true,

As we stamp out fear,

We can make this the most special time,

To wipe away the tears,

Do more than you’ve ever done,

To bring some Christmas cheer,

What if you and I could change history,

By doing what we can,

What if we changed the lives of a few,

And created a peaceful strand,

We could do more than we’ve ever done,

To make this the promised land,

 Christmas could be a time of joy,

Because we did so much more,

Dreams of peace could take root and grow,

Instead of dreams of war.