antihero

Every small town has its hero who
jumped the gorge
—–blindfolded
tamed the wildest mustang
—–with whispers
swam the pond iced four inches thick
—–in a single breath
fought off an evil corporate polluter
—–without somuchas a lawyer, and
sang so sweetly monarch butterflies refused to migrate.

But our small town decided to affirm
rather than inspire,
so we have an anti-hero who
beat the odds of success
down to marginal
pursuing his real hobbies:
videogames, vaping, vagrancy.

That every child may
—–win by leaps
—–vanquish competition
—–awe the town with newfound hope
for a future brighter than
the antihero’s.