A Hero For Me Poem by Nur Meiyati

I once had a question in my old schooldays
But never got an answer, as I never knew to whom I should have asked

What really are heroes?
If soldiers die in the wars
Are they automatically heroes
As they might go to the battle by force
Or they do it simply because it is their job
If they kill the soldiers in the battle
Are they automatically heroes
As they might do that to satisfy their killer instinct
Or they do it as a revenge for his lost friends
Who die in the previous fights
Do they bring triumphant to the country
Sometimes ….questionable
As in wars, no one wins both sides lose
If a few years later when those involved in the war come to an agreement
To cease their conflict and the war
The government and the people from both sides become partners in many fields
But the soldiers might have lost parts of their bodies and many more
And sometimes are even forgotten, neglected or ignored
As they are seen just as machines who function for the system
For temporary policy of the then government
In honour of their sacrifice they will get hymns and be gathered in a mass VIP cemetery …..if they are lucky

My image about a hero now maybe is not usual
A hero who inspires me
Is not only someone who dies in the battle
He is not only someone who daringly fights
Sacrificing his life and then lost his everything
He is not someone who faces injustice and is almost murdered
But fortunately he is saved by other people
If he is lucky the news goes viral on the media around the country or the world
I just call him: LUCKY AND FAMOUS BY BLESSING IN DISGUISE...or by design
A hero for me is not someone
Who is made big by the media
Or by those who have a certain concern …..or an agenda

A hero for ME is someone
Who fights what becomes his concern: the PEOPLE
Not for the country
Not for the religions
Not for the glory or the fame of anything or anyone
In a smart way as possible
And he tries to be safe, he tries to always win
Never will he let himself to be defeated by a fate
That way he will spread hopes to a lot of people
Because, striving to face life smartly is much more difficult than daring to die
Or am I wrong?
Maybe, but that is the answer I comprehend up to now...according to me.


(Indonesia,10 November 2013)