Hero

Did you ever know that you're my hero
and everything I'd like to be
A line from Willie that stops me in mid stride
like a known face on the street
Smiling, carried in my back pocket, folded
opened when my faith is shaky
Confidence coming undone at the seams

Do you know you get me through from there
and does it matter, the knowing
What is a hero, but a reflection, an image
of ourself as we would like to be
The hidden, drowning parts of me are all
there shining, polished and smoothed out
by the lady who taught me most of what I know

So if there's anything to see in me at all of love
or understanding, some residual value
It's across my shoulder, where a woman stands
who raised the tattered flag that's me
Life's a battle and when the smoke has died away
the bodies are counted and armistices signed
I'll know, they needn't understand how far you carried me

Did you ever know that you're my hero
and everything I'd like to be
Probably not in your nature to see yourself that way
My designation not yours, so live with it
After all, it's only you and I need know the terms
of how we recognize each other in the dark
and that's my vision, so slip it on and feel the warmth