Mother Ulysses

Who does she think she is?
Silly old…!

When ‘stepping up’ and ‘doing your bit’
Sound hollow to the bone
When ‘bystander intervention’ lets you down
And passers-by keep passing
She is your unswerving
By-your-side-to-the-end
Defender

True Alpha—
Who wears the armour?
Who needs it!
Who will place flesh and sinew
Against the cutting edge of oppression
And press on
And press home?

This is your child, your own
To whom you tell the truth—
“My child, you are wrong.”

You may not move earth and heaven
Mother Ulysses
But you may…