Hero’s Lament

Posted on 2017/01/14 by Bartholomew Barker
Andromeda by Paul Gustave Doré

Andromeda by Paul Gustave Doré

The rail lies cold against my ear,
listening not for a train
but hoping to hear the muffled
cries of a damsel in distress.

Sensing none, I follow the tracks
to the industrial warehouses,
hoping to find a brave and beautiful
reporter suspended over a vat of acid.

But these days the trains don’t run,
villains silence the press with lawyers
and I’ve learned that gratitude
fades with the morning dew

and a hero’s scars are just plain ugly
in the harsh light of every day.

 

About Bartholomew Barker

Bartholomew Barker is one of the organizers of Living Poetry, a collection of poets and poetry lovers in the Triangle region of North Carolina. Born and raised in Ohio, studied in Chicago, he worked in Connecticut for nearly twenty years before moving to Hillsborough where he makes money as a computer programmer to fund his poetry habit.
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5 Responses to Hero’s Lament

  1. Little Monster Girl says:
    2017/01/28 at 17:46

    The villains are in the White House! Anyway, great poem! 👍

    Like

    Reply
  2. Purpleanais says:
    2017/02/05 at 12:53

    I think I may just be as desilusioned and cynical as you are because I love this.

    Like

    Reply

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