Super Hero

I wrote the original version of this poem back in my first poetry class at UPS. I've always loved super heroes, but I've also found some of the ways they work backwards. I don't know why, but I believe in our justice system, and I don't think that just because you can you should bypass it. As they said in the first Spiderman movie "With great power comes great responcibility" and I believe that is true, especially with super heroes. I've always liked Batman for that reason. He didn't break the law (well usually didn't) and he didn't kill people (again usually, there were exception, but those usually came with extreme conditions). In a great episode of Justice League unlimited, the Justice League comes in contact with a parallel universe where an alternate justice league has taken over the world as essentially the world police (and enforce there rule with brutal force). I feel this poem is very similar to that idea where you start out trying to do something good, but end up being the bad guy in the end.

Edit: Even with placing in spaces, I cannot get the tabbing right on this (quite annoying), so try and think that the 2nd and 4th lines in each stanza are indented.

Super Hero

In a city without hope,
I crafted a costume of virtue.
I am just a man in a mask,
the people needed my help

I crafted a costume of virtue.
I put myself above the law.
The people needed my help,
justice whatever the cost.

I put myself above the law,
no one can stand in my way.
Justice whatever the cost,
I am your only hope.

No one can stand in my way,
in a city without hope.
I am your only hope,
I am just a man in a mask.

Copyright 2008 William Curb