That's What We Need... For Poem by Gabrielle Ciarann Roniyah Baer

1) That's what we need heroes for,
not chasing monsters,
not leading armies,
not rescuing maidens, fair and dark.
Not slaying dragons,
not beating bad guys,
Not saving the world again, ho-hum

These are the easiest works they do
Much harder is what they show:
How to stand when we want to run,
How to be still when we want to cry,
How to hold when our hands feel numb,
How to dare when we'd rather hide,
How to speak when our throats would close.
How to love, giving up pure pride.

We always cherish heroes
the more so when they're lost
Sometimes we luckily,
get the chance to thank them
for their cost
By loving, speaking, standing
By daring, staying, holding on,
Showing we are heroes, too.

2) That's what we need dreamers for
not chasing rainbows,
nor hunting fortunes,
not fighting nightmares, dark and deep
not seeing visions,
nor telling futures,
not even sharing their paths with us.

All these are what they would do
unasked
Less plain the things that
shape their task.
How to hear what our hearts can tell,
How to know our own whispered voices,
How to listen to our Muses call,
How to see what our minds eye paints.
How to sense our own spirit's touch,
How to trust our own psyche's choice.

We heap praises on Dreamers,
often following where they tread,
But Dreamers are the first to say
'walk your own way, instead'
For we are all Dreamers.

3) That's what we need warriors for,
not battling demons,
not flinging javelins,
not fancy swordsplay,
They'd do that anyway.
Not for manning castles,
not for waging warfare,
not for scheming,
skirmishing or squelching revolts.
Little doubt, the world
would know as many wars,
if these still went on every day.

But
a warrior's honor is legend,
a warrior's bravery well-known,
a warrior's loyalty's a by-word,
a warrior's heart cannot be stolen.
And so
we go on praising warriors,
even while we long for peace, as do they.
And so
we strive to show ourselves
as honorable, as true,
as brave and whole hearted as they
for we are all Warriors.

4) That's what we need Lovers for,
not for longing glances,
nor subtle touches,
not for deep embraces by night and day,
not murmured sweetness nor hungry passion
nothing that clear here,
staying PG-13 :)
Nothing so explicit,
and nothing illicit
please, all those can be better done in alt.fic
or offscreen :)
But
the trust that grows to one-ness,
the care that builds from kindness,
and
the courage that welcomes closeness
All those we deeply need.
And
if laughter leads to loving,
if ease opens our hearts,
if gentleness clears our vision
tenderness bespeaks our souls,
Then
lovers too, must be cherished
Then closeness too, is a gift,
Then loving too, is our healer
Andwe are all Lovers.
Amor vincit Omnia Zei!

5) That's what we need mentors for
not for proving,
not for drilling,
not for testing,
RL does that, everyday
not for prodding,
not for 'examples'
not for reminders
we'll fall over those on our own, anyway

But,
to inspire us
to challenge and reward us,
to encourage and enliven us,
to laugh with and provoke us,
especially to think
especially to care,
especially to try, again and again, and again
Mentors are teachers with smaller classes,
Mentors are directors of two actor shows,
Mentors are those we always remember,
and sometimes
even they don't know
and sometimes
even we don't know
We are all Mentors.

6)
That's what we need comrades for,
not for giggling with heads together
giggling is good, but bear with me,
Not for munching, till cupboards empty
munching is fine, but what's for tea?
Not even for drinking the blender dry,
drinking is great, but where do we crash?
Not even for barding half a dozen poems,
most in one night might be more than you asked :)

O dearest, and most wondrous Muse,
Thou far lovelier One than Ms. S. Stone,
I am frazzeled with finishing your latest
please go to sleep now,
and leave me alone!

Comrades are those
who put up with us
When our plotlines go clink instead of click
comrades are those who cheer us on,
and on and on and on
But comrades,
I must leave you now,
as the deep night approaches dawn
But with deep thanks,
because
we are all comrades.


written in August, '99