Heroism

There's nothing epic about one battle,
nor something heroic in one act,
nor something so inescapably tragic
that the pace of life
even slows minutely.

Those we love to hate
come back to haunt us;
not for their wrongdoing,
but our own.

Only the truly wise--
the mighty verbose heroes
with white beards
and brighter eyes--
will ever direct us.

Then, the only dilemma becomes
how we decide to listen.