For Neil S.

Superman,
for most of the time we knew you
you sped like lightning
though sometimes you broke out in a dance.

I knew you almost little,
your heart beat on another planet
crooned to outer space swishy mermaids
while I drank my neon kool-aid radio romance.

One time you let me wear your cape to the senior prom.
I did backflips in my mind, finally, it was my time.
Lois and all the cheerleaders
would be beautiful but jealous.
Until I realized
you always carried extras for all your adoring fans.

You lifted crayon yellow buses and made sure the smaller children got to school.
You held the door open for all the older folk most of us so quickly forgot.
You never let the seasons slow you down when us kids didn’t stand a chance against ice, rain or snow.

Then one day
you didn’t show for the final little league game
and we just knew.
Even Superman
has a father
he must answer to
in green
exploding
light.