In the dark recesses
Of a desolate world,
A hero glows and
A villain burns.

Born from man’s ceaseless desperation
To always see the light,
Our hero is a phenomenon-
A lesser known guardian, in a still lesser known night.

The incandescent vigilante listens-
A force no man could sway-
“Guide our boys back to the barracks.”
“Guide our men back home, we pray.”

To nourish the starved with food as piping hot,
To keep the little ones from passing out in shades of blue,
Our fiery sentinel strives to maintain
A legacy through deeds as minute.

But, wait. A flicker.
A wavering temperament is a fatal flaw.
In apathy, it favours destruction.
In its rage, it abides by no law.

And the cries for help drown in futility,
As the reckless flames lap away without haste.
Cremating the innocent; a sadist’s game.
As mere ashes, they fall. None have gone to waste.

Its imminent beauty; deceptive.
Its intention; laced with malice.
Its wrath; unleashed in a torrid blaze.
Its merciless whims; so brutal, so callous.

In the dark recesses
Of a desolate world,
A hero glows and
A villain burns.