Who Is Really a Hero?

Liam ShieldsMarch 13, 2013

In another world,
A hero is someone who can do the impossible,
Any task or deed will be done on the double
With their cape and tights, they fly off into the air
To fight off crime without a care.
Superman, Batman, Spiderman —
Who better?

However, in this world we call reality
Away from all the comics and afternoon cartoons
Who and what exactly is this person we call
A hero?

A hero is someone who is always there
When you need someone to really care,
A hero is someone who thinks outside themselves
To aid you when you are down.

A hero is someone who puts everything into anything —
Their hopes and dreams invested into what they love.
A Hero need not succeed
For at least they attempted to fill a need.

Who may this be,
This person we call a hero?
This hero doesn’t need to be perfect,
As no human may ever be,
Though this hero may not be Superman
Or that character you always dreamed to be
This hero is someone you will always
Want to be.

The answer is
Quite obvious indeed,
This man everyone calls a hero
Is actually someone who you see looking back at you
Every day, until the end.

Though you may be surprised,
Spiderman is surely powerless
To this Hero
To this hero we all call
Y-O-U.

Liam Shields is a 9th grader who lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts and enjoys playing lacrosse. This is his second poem for KidSpirit Magazine. The first poem was entitled “What Shall I Do? (The Last Leaf Standing).”