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HeroI read he was gonna be at some ribbon-cutting in townI went before work but there wasn’t much of a crowdHe was older and that costume didn’t fit rightHis belly was a pillow ‘neath those bright blue tightsAnd as he scribbled his autograph His breath said it was whiskey helpin’ him smile n laughI could tell the owner of that new five n dimeWas wishin’ he’d have hired the mimeBut in that red cape and mask stood Neutron ManI felt ten years old when I shook his hand and saidThough I’ve never met you I could never forget youYou’ve always been my heroWe walked to a bench as people melted awayStepped on a poster of him the way he looked in better daysHis mask grew moist from a moment of tearsHe said "things’ve been tough the past ten yearsWorkin’ kids parties in wasteland townsI get last minute calls if they can’t book a clownThen I fell asleep smokin’ in the Caravan MotelNext thing I knew two hands pulled me from a fiery hellB’lieve me I’d be sober nowIf that fireman hadn’t died pullin’ me outThough I never met him I’ll never forget himHe’ll always be my heroHe tore off his mask and said he needed a belt of somethin’ strongI said, “friend you’re just putting a different mask on”Gave him the address to a church on Garland LaneAnd said, “sometimes we can’t feel the devil’s flameA few years back a friend of mine died on the jobAnd I’d still be drinkin’ if not for GodThough I’ve never met him I’ll never forget himHe’ll always be my heroWell, he asked me to save him a seatAnd promised to be there next weekI coulda told him about my friend and what I did for a livin’But my friend wouldn’t have wanted that up there in heavencos we work without fame and hope somehow it mattersI headed for the firehouse and shined up the old hook n ladderCos there’s One who died to save us from eternal flameI hope my childhood hero finds him and saysThough I never met him I’ll never forget himHe’ll always be my hero…©2007 Robert George