True Heroes Poem by Dr Ronnie Bai

Are not those treading the trembling roof-edges
Or throwing themselves into torrent current
To save some people bedazzled or hesitant
In front of screeching buses or whistling trains;
Neither are those standing tortures extreme
Of versatile sadists for man’s body,
Or taunting at guillotines still bloody
In successful defence of souls supreme;
Nor are those holding a hunger strike long
Their cramping stomach rejecting medic care,
Or burning themselves dead in the town square
For political beliefs ever strong.
Lost these heroes will be in the creeping
Alzheimer’s of the ageing human being.

Like great Mount Everest the sky piercing
True heroes are the giant Atlas standing -
For the enduring of humanity,
Forebear’rs of fiery modern medicines
Their cramping stomachs testing toxic drugs
Unflinch’ng to fight deadly unknown virus;
Or to th’ envious Prometheus in bondage
Scientists and volunteers faltering not
Facing th’ blasting mushrooming cloud so hot
Th’ spectacular dawning of atomic age;
Also daredevils before aeroplanes
Birdmen throwing themselves off cliffs to fly
For space age’s commuters to th’ outer sky
Out-rivalling God for th’ whole universe.