Hang Out By The River

Hang Out By The River
© Surazeus
2024 07 13

My shadow in the polished windowpane 
knows why I want to play the superhero, 
so I will weave spirals around my lane 
as I dance to eerie song of the sparrow 
who tweets about strange beauty of this life 
where I translate bitter tears to sweet laughter. 

While I decide how to perform my role 
alone on the bloody stage of world history, 
I compose weird story of mind-control 
when I investigate the murder mystery 
that leads me to Plato in his Dream Cave 
who enchants the world with visions of Heaven. 

My shadow walks down signless road of faith 
to find the Promised Land inside the mirror, 
but finds Blind Magician inventing truth 
as excuse to begin his reign of terror, 
so we build safe rooms in our minds to hide 
from cruel storm troopers loyal to King Midas. 

Though dictators always rise from the crowd, 
driven by fear to grasp the reins of power, 
the patient turning of the Wheels of Fate 
always hurls tyrants from the Burning Tower, 
yet we must unite with the love-forged key 
and fight with Justice to defend our freedom. 

My heart flies high on falcon wings of hope 
toward sacred grove of Muses on the mountain, 
so people gasp at flutter of my cape 
when I fight Satan to control the fountain 
which provides water for farmers in need 
to grow food we eat in Garden of Eden. 

At high noon in the dusty western town 
Jesus faces Satan in blazing battle, 
but in the end the winner is the clown 
who owns the valley and the herd of cattle 
since he tries to control the Supreme Court 
with money from oil that fuels his fortune. 

When Caesar struts on corpses of the dead 
and tries to crown himself King of the World 
Justice hurls spear at shadow of his head 
to announce coming of the Cosmic Herald 
who will make Roman Empire great again 
because Jupiter is always the winner. 

Men who declare themselves rulers of states 
rise and fall in waves of nationalist fever, 
but every king is struck down by the fates 
in war between the Tyrant and the Savior 
that never ends no matter how we live, 
so I prefer to hang out by the river.