Poets don't have the typical capes. They don't wrap anything around their necks and let their flag hang off their backs while they fly. Most times, no one even notices that they have a superpower. They are the Clark Kents' and the Phoenixs' of the world. They remain hidden until it's time to touch the stage. Then, their powers are revealed to the world.
They remove their shyness. Their introverted personality. They shed everything they are in the world. Their 9-5 shifts. Their "mom" or "dad" titles. Their criminal past, political stance, and any other identifying marker the world uses to put them in a box—and they become something else right before our eyes.
It isn't until then. Until they've poured their hearts out on the stage that the audience realizes what they just witnessed. They know they've met a real-life superhero.
Superheroes save lives. That is the goal. They keep people from danger. They inspire, uplift, and encourage people to be better. Now, what have that Poet's words done? Why do words make someone a superhero?
It takes the story of a suicidal person to tell you. The way a poem kept that person from pulling the trigger and ending their life prematurely. The way that the Poet's words sunk into that person's mind and gave them a reason to fight. A reason to keep living and overcoming obstacles. You tell that person that poets aren't superheroes. Who else can help save a life by reciting? By performing? Who else has that kind of power?
I'll wait.
Superheroes are real. They save lives every day. Pens are swords. Words are superhuman weapons pouring out of mouths like the burst of wind from Superman. Like a sweeping tornado harnessed by Storm. That's power. Do you think you're merely a poet? Merely. A poet. The first Poet created the world with words. Words give life and present death. They rescue and condemn. They bless, and they curse.
Your weapon is yours. How you choose to use it is up to you. But one fact remains—whether you use it for the good of others or your selfish desires. You will have to give a report on how you used your superpower. Not everyone is born with this gift. Not everyone will use it the way it was intended. But you, nonetheless, are a superhero.
So, save the world, hero. Save the world.