Fallen Heroes

When Ure Hero Falls - Poem by Tupac Shakur

when your hero falls from grace
all fairy tales r uncovered
myths exposed and pain magnified
the greatest pain discovered
u taught me 2 be strong
but im confused 2 c u so weak
u said never 2 give up
and it hurts 2 c u welcome defeat
when ure hero falls so do the stars
and so does the perception of tomorrow
without my hero there is only
me alone 2 deal with my sorrow
your heart ceases 2 work
and your soul is not happy at all
what r u expected 2 do
when ure only hero falls

I've had many heroes during my 40+ years on this planet.
Each time someone put atop a pedestal, falls back down
to Earth it is shattering.

Individuals like this give wings to our ethereal souls, despite our
inability to literally fly or leap tall buildings in a single bound.
When our role models' hamartia is revealed, our own abilities are
reevaluated and placed on the chopping block.

A disciple is not above his teacher, how can I then hope to attain positive
character traits so ascribed? Or defeat my demons, by mimicking,
when they themselves weren't able to escape something dark or painful?

I'm learning to accept that having disappointed or shown a side I did not care for
doesn’t take away from what they originally brought to the table for me.
Just because I may not like everything about a person, doesn’t take away from that which I love.