Sunday, August 4, 2013

LOVING OPPOSITES

I was four. Well meaning
realist said,
"There's no Santa."

Still I loved super heroes.
Knew they were caricatures
of our dreams
for ourselves, wishing
to be strong, to bend
steel like a writer turns a plot,
to fly,
to kick evil's ass,
to always survive
in humble splendor of goodness.

Now that I'm old(er)
I still love those fearless idols.

But I love the villains too.
Working in earnest
to activate illusions
of superior power, greed, fame,
uncaring so blatant,
so big it blinds them
from their selfish proclamations,
murderous exaltations, diminishing them
til they're devoured
by hero's victory
kill.

Growing up, I realize
I too get blinded sometimes.
Other times I'm Wonder Woman.


(Submitted to Poetry Jam.)

13 comments:

  1. I enjoyed this, Myrna. Interesting that you should mention liking both heroes AND villains. As I think about this, I do too. There is some appeal in both exaggerated goodness and exaggerated badness. Love the idea of you as Superwoman. I am sure you are.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wonderful....oh how I remember when I discovered there really wasn't a Santa Claus, or a Tooth Fairy or Easter Bunny...it was Mom all along...

    ReplyDelete
  3. One might hope that the realist was your mother or father as anyone else would be unconscionable to tell a small child that Santa's an illusion. Love villains? Lee Marvin maybe...

    ReplyDelete
  4. How honest. You ARE WonderWoman


    ALOHA from Honolulu
    Comfort Spiral
    ~ > < } } ( ° > <3

    ReplyDelete
  5. mmm yes we do get blinded as well at times...ha...they are like two sides of the same coin of us you know...us at our best and us at our worst...

    POW

    smiles. nicely done myrna

    ReplyDelete
  6. You brought a smile to my face today. Loved your poem. Villains also have their talents. ;-)

    Greetings from London.

    ReplyDelete
  7. 4 is much to young to have to find out about Santa Claus... and yes you are Wonder Woman!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the villains too - especially the Coyote against the roadrunner. The dude just never gives up! Great words and poem

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a great poem, loved reading this!

    ReplyDelete
  10. first...i have to confess that - realist that i am - i also told my kids that there is no santa - i'm not sure if they believed me though...smiles...and yeah... think we all have those two sides in us...and there are times....ha...oh...POW....smiles

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yes without the villains there would be no superheros. Now there is a sad thought really...do we need the bad guys?

    ReplyDelete