Hero

 

 

history will not name you a hero

 

a boy who fought dragons

grew to a man

put away a plastic sword

and took up a knife.

 

the dragons grew within you

unchecked by medication

curled around your bones

hid behind the grey scaled shadows

of your eyes

breathed fierce fire in blood betraying

self made wounds.

 

hero is a name without a face

courage painted by numbers

stories honoured in history’s roll call

but your battle has no timed beginning

no ordered end

no truce

no ceasefire

no catalogue of reasons

no pages map the trench line scars

on your arms.

 

and when it ends

if it ends

there will be no flags

no cheers

no banners raised

if the dragons sleep

those who love you will not wake them

and if it is you who sleeps

I will remember you

in secret silence