"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?

Making a Choice (The Fairy Queen and Me)

Making a Choice (The Fairy Queen and Me)

The fairy queen stood proudly by me,

A statuesque beauty at my side,

And I, the recently exiled king,

Was thrilled she was my bride,

Upon my shoulders I wore a cloak,

Fairy magic had hidden me well,

To any outsider I appeared an oak,

In harmony with earth with the spell,

My trusty sword was ready to swing,

I thought with fairy magic,

I could conquer anything,

But alone I walked, a battle to seek,

My enthusiasm was shaken,

My knees were suddenly weak,

I realized I could not attack from the wood,

For fairy magic can only be used for good,

I noticed a stranger approaching from the east,

With a long bow and quiver, riding a beast,

A canvas covered box was within his grasp,

He asked if I wanted him to open the clasp,

“Only if it holds something for the good,

I’ll accept nothing evil, let that be understood,”

The stranger looked startled and ceased to grin,

“Think clearly, oh king, if you desire to win,

I have magic in this box that could kill you,

And the arrows I carry fly straight and true!”

“Go,” I said, “I’ve learned much from my queen,

Honesty, beauty, joy, and the earth always green,

I will not change my mind even unto death,

So away with your evil,” I hissed under my breath,

I watched him leave for a long, long, while,

Then I turned and saw the fairy queen’s smile,

She whispered, “I love you more than you’ll ever know,

I’ll fight by your side, dealing blow upon blow,”

I uttered, “With goodness and truth we’ll find another way,”

I could feel love’s awesome power increasing that day,

But was there too much evil to enact a new plan?

Would good be banned forever from this land?