The Story Behind Not Every Superhero has Superpowers
I’ve mentioned before that I always write down ideas when they come to me (at least, I try). That includes poems, although in that case, that usually means the title. Something will come to me – a single line, a word, a phrase – and I’ll write it down for later.
At the end of November 2019, I had an idea for a poem: Not Every Superhero has Superpowers. The idea was that I wanted to reach out to my past self and tell him that it was okay that he didn’t have superpowers. He didn’t need them to help people, or be special, or stand up for himself. I was always daydreaming of having superpowers and helping people. I was too afraid to do anything on my own, but I thought that if I had powers, I’d be able to use them to make the world a better place. At least, a better place for me.
That title sat there in my notes until the end of March 2020. I looked at it, wanted to write it, but didn’t think of anything to write in it. I looked at it again as the COVID-19 pandemic continued, and I thought of something new.
When I finally sat down to write it, I knew what to write. I know there are superheroes in the world. Even though many of them don’t feel like it now, it’s important that we keep supporting them. They’re working hard to make the world a better place for everyone, sacrificing more than anyone to do it.
The advice I’d give to myself isn’t just that he doesn’t need to have superpowers, it’s that there’s more to being a hero than that. It’s about making the tough choices. It’s having the strength to stand up for what’s right when everyone else runs away.
Support your heroes. They need all the help they can get right now.
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