To a man who ran out of his way
without a thought for himself
into the face of slaughter

His mum is proud, the gunman
dead, the rest of us are reading
about him, amazed

we are full of praise and wonder
if we would have the guts
not many of us

we are keyboard warriors
mostly full of eloquent rage
and impressive impotence

few of us have been to war
fewer still even held a gun
but we rage

social media fuels our
rage and now it fuels
our praise

so happy to have a hero
at last
this chap, who ran into the face of slaughter

saving your mum, your dad,
your son, your daughter

saving us all somehow, briefly