Becoming Captain Marvel
© Surazeus
2018 07 02
After listening to his father talk
about tyrants who oppress helpless people
and exploit the poor to work for their greed,
Billy Batson runs out into the backyard
and gazes marveling at thunder storm
that crackles swirling over vast suburb
where children in clean well-lit living rooms
watch superhero shows on television.
Lifting his face up to black swirling clouds,
and thinking about all those helpless people
who cannot fight against their evil tyrants,
Billy shouts at the crackling thunder storm.
"I wish I could help the poor become rich
and defend the helpless who want to live
free from the tyranny of evil men.
Shazam!" he cries out to the empty sky.
"Shazam, come and make me into a hero!"
The black thundercloud shimmers lightning bolts
and rain splatters cold on his upturned face.
"Shazam!" Billy shouts, much louder this time,
but no lightning bolt blams from rumbling clouds.
Looking down at comic book in his hand
that shows Billy transformed by lightning bolt
into Captain Marvel, the noble hero,
Billy groans and looks around at the yard,
hoping to see ancient wizard Shazam
appear from white flash of the lightning bolt.
"Shazam, wise wizard of the ancient world,
you are six immortal elders of legend,
Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus,
Achilles, and Mercury in one soul.
Combine in my body your attributes
so I can become a great superhero
and save the people of my world from harm.
Give to me the wisdom of Solomon,
the strength of Hercules, the stamina
of Atlas, the electric power of Zeus,
the courage of Achilles, and the speed
of Mercury, so I may perform deeds
of great marvel defending helpless people
by crushing evil tyrants of the world."
After standing in the cold silent rain
for an hour, staring at the silver moon
that flashes through black rain clouds as they swirl
above the distant towers of Manhattan,
Billy walks back inside the little kitchen.
His mother Jane sets plate of oatmeal cookies
and glass of milk, so he sits in the chair
and eats while she watches new episode
of Perry Mason, the defense attorney
who defends people in the court of law
when they are falsely accused of the crime.
After Perry exposes on the stand
the real criminal with a clever trick,
Jane turns off the television and smiles.
"Billy, maybe you cannot be a hero
like Captain Marvel, with great superpowers,
but in this real world of us mortal people
you can become a good defense attorney
like Perry Mason who defends nice people
and exposes real criminals who hide
behind pretentious masks of being good."
Billy hugs his mother, and goes upstairs
where he lies in bed, gazing out the window,
and dreams about becoming Captain Marvel.
"I will defeat, using my superpowers,
every evil tyrant throughout the world
who oppresses poor people with his greed,
who keeps people from being educated,
who enslaves people to work for low wages,
who legislates how women have their babies,
and who imprisons refugees from war,
tearing children away from their families.
No matter how, whether as the officer
of the law, or the good defense attorney,
I will protect the helpless and the poor,
and crush evil men with the hand of justice."
© Surazeus
2018 07 02
After listening to his father talk
about tyrants who oppress helpless people
and exploit the poor to work for their greed,
Billy Batson runs out into the backyard
and gazes marveling at thunder storm
that crackles swirling over vast suburb
where children in clean well-lit living rooms
watch superhero shows on television.
Lifting his face up to black swirling clouds,
and thinking about all those helpless people
who cannot fight against their evil tyrants,
Billy shouts at the crackling thunder storm.
"I wish I could help the poor become rich
and defend the helpless who want to live
free from the tyranny of evil men.
Shazam!" he cries out to the empty sky.
"Shazam, come and make me into a hero!"
The black thundercloud shimmers lightning bolts
and rain splatters cold on his upturned face.
"Shazam!" Billy shouts, much louder this time,
but no lightning bolt blams from rumbling clouds.
Looking down at comic book in his hand
that shows Billy transformed by lightning bolt
into Captain Marvel, the noble hero,
Billy groans and looks around at the yard,
hoping to see ancient wizard Shazam
appear from white flash of the lightning bolt.
"Shazam, wise wizard of the ancient world,
you are six immortal elders of legend,
Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus,
Achilles, and Mercury in one soul.
Combine in my body your attributes
so I can become a great superhero
and save the people of my world from harm.
Give to me the wisdom of Solomon,
the strength of Hercules, the stamina
of Atlas, the electric power of Zeus,
the courage of Achilles, and the speed
of Mercury, so I may perform deeds
of great marvel defending helpless people
by crushing evil tyrants of the world."
After standing in the cold silent rain
for an hour, staring at the silver moon
that flashes through black rain clouds as they swirl
above the distant towers of Manhattan,
Billy walks back inside the little kitchen.
His mother Jane sets plate of oatmeal cookies
and glass of milk, so he sits in the chair
and eats while she watches new episode
of Perry Mason, the defense attorney
who defends people in the court of law
when they are falsely accused of the crime.
After Perry exposes on the stand
the real criminal with a clever trick,
Jane turns off the television and smiles.
"Billy, maybe you cannot be a hero
like Captain Marvel, with great superpowers,
but in this real world of us mortal people
you can become a good defense attorney
like Perry Mason who defends nice people
and exposes real criminals who hide
behind pretentious masks of being good."
Billy hugs his mother, and goes upstairs
where he lies in bed, gazing out the window,
and dreams about becoming Captain Marvel.
"I will defeat, using my superpowers,
every evil tyrant throughout the world
who oppresses poor people with his greed,
who keeps people from being educated,
who enslaves people to work for low wages,
who legislates how women have their babies,
and who imprisons refugees from war,
tearing children away from their families.
No matter how, whether as the officer
of the law, or the good defense attorney,
I will protect the helpless and the poor,
and crush evil men with the hand of justice."
No comments:
Post a Comment