the andes don't sink

heroes are just ordinary men and women doing
the jobs they are paid to do those jobs being
ones that carry extraordinary risks
and pay no better than the straightforward ones
that bind you to desk or workshop every day

what makes a hero is meeting the obligation
just to do the job right when that job involves
risking your life for others taking the chances
that most of us would shun out of fear or prudence
while claiming that we really want adventure

kant had that thing right when he said
that we must act as if we want everyone else to do the same
but that requires extraordinary grace and the favour
of whatever gods inhabit our normal minds
and raise us for a moment beyond our daily selves