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The Bat-Man

by Morgan from Portland

The mysterious Bat-Man!<br>
The mysterious Bat-Man!

Buck up Mr. Bat-Man,

When the night descends like a cold visor
And your eyes turn to blank slits of starlight
That sweep over a city, content with nothing they view,
Your blood, efficient fuel now aflame with all the things
You cannot do or even know,
When your influence, always like a beam of witchglow that
Alights where you will, still is not everywhere at once -
You must remember -
How you sprang full grown from ink drawn Jewish tenements,
Neighborhoods of four color hedges with crayon moons to light your way.
How your shadow was a mysterious herald, always announcing your arrival,
Though we knew you were coming.
Your black engines and elaborate equipment turned the pages for us
At an implacable rate that would suffer no hindrance.
Even though we first saw you as a man, The Legend states irrevocably
That you were a child once, too,
And that you never forgot that fact.
The red breasted friend you kept by your side was your own lost youth
Who served to remind that the wages of life are not just battle,
But joy.
Amidst the unfriendliest of environs, where the quietest cries go unheard
It was your job to listen
And we, children all, have believed in your clear signal of intercession
Flashing in the sky,
Have felt you on our roofs for sixty years.
You were for the ones who did not feel they came from another planet,
But were still wary of this one.
You were the tissue of all our shaky solutions,
Steady, determined, above bitterness.
On these fruitless Gotham nights, you must remember
That your were made for us, from us,
That you were always a good answer in the night.

Bat-Man: the strangest Zen figure ever!
Bat-Man: the strangest Zen figure ever!

Bat-Man Speaks:

Harbored deep in caves, strange stances perfected,
Codas of wisdom seep into the bone.
Paraphernalia of knowledge collected and crafted
Serve an intent with a life of its own.
Now noble, now monstrous, finally past reasoning
It has flown me at last to this lair of my will
Where I hone my awareness till it furls all around me
As I wait for the signal that spreads my decree.
Mantled in the guise of all that is nameless
I emerge from holograms of careful design,
Hurled forth on purposes fire throated engine
To that place where all the nightmares reside.
Roaming on roofs that offer no purchase
I cast away doubt and and survey my world;
No self, no others, just precision's careful lightning's
Waiting for birth under closed leathern folds.
The unthinkable manifests and I dive into moments,
Flit through the death that entraps and encircles.
Though its mastery is legion it never can find me,
True to my totem I cannot be snared.
From out of the darkness
I fling fist and cunning tool,
An arsenal of resolve in body and mind.
No prey can evade me, no secret stay hallow
Beneath the gaze of this visage I wear.
It is recorded how I have engaged both the mad and the mythic
In mortal arenas of dark sacred night,
Sometimes as man and sometimes as creature
Though in truth
I am one with the thing that is neither.
Stepping off the edge of one more precipice
I open my heart and my heart becomes Void,
Leaves rustle through the endless expanse,
And a clear beam of intercession splits the fog with an answer.
I am already in motion.
I am nowhere to be found.

Bat-Man lives by a Spirit Warrior's Code!  Do you?
Bat-Man lives by a Spirit Warrior's Code! Do you?

BAT-MAN'S MAXIMS

1) The first is that a real adventure is always harder than you ever expected. (Be prepared)

2) The second is that at some point during a real adventure you seriously, and with great disquietude in your heart, begin to question the wisdom of ever taking on this challenge. (Have intention)

3) The third is no matter what the adventure is, you must choose a path with heart and not second guess yourself or worry about the opinion of others. The warrior is not interested in confirmation; he fulfills his acts and is at peace. There will always be time to review and improve your performance. (Have faith)

4) Life exists to teach you; therefore your eyes must always be open for the messages that this world has to offer you. The end result of every adventure is the same. You learn something. (Be alert)

5) The fifth is about how you feel when you survive. Your first emotion should not be pride or some ridiculous sense of conquest or even elation. The first thing you should feel is humble.

And of course...

6) CRIMINALS ARE A SUPERSTITIOUS AND COWARDLY LOT!

Page created on 12/29/2008 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 12/29/2008 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.
 

Author Info

Morgan is a contemplative member of a non-profit organization that provides services to the homeless in Portland Oregon. Morgan wears a mask but no one notices. That's the way he likes it.