A hero is nothing more than compassion incarnate,
nothing more,
then grief caught in a flame allowing it to be the fire it always wanted it to be.
Nothing more
then peace on a Tuesday afternoon.
Nothing more
then a laughter that makes others smile,
nothing more,
then loving a pet that bites you.
Nothing more
then patience that causes anxiety.
Nothing more
then hope caught in a bird cage.
Nothing more
then a runny nose with an empty tissue box.
Nothing more
then atlas shrugging off an insult,
nothing more,
then seeing the beauty in picking up poop.
Paul Ruth is a teacher and writer from Michigan with a M.A. in English. His poetry has appeared with
Silver Birch Press, Indolent Books, and The Literatus. He has also written two novels.