No Pedestals

Beware the voice that shouts too loud,

That claims the truth and draws a crowd.

For certainty that leaves no doubt

Can blind the wise and shut thought out.

Not every cause is pure or right,

Not every wrong is cloaked in night.

The world’s not drawn in black and white—

It lives in grays, in softer light.

A hero’s just a soul, like you,

With flaws and faults and blind spots too.

To lift them high, beyond critique,

Is to forget that all are weak.

No prophet, thinker, saint, or king

Deserves your mind on tethered string.

Respect their path, but think anew—

What’s right for them may not be true for you.

Beware the lure of righteous rage,

That casts the “other” in a cage.

Extremes feel clean, like fire or frost,

But burn the bonds we need the most.

Hold passion close, but keep it kind.

Let questions live inside your mind.

Let doubt not be your shame, but guide—

A guard against both arrogance and pride.

Give praise where earned, with open eyes,

But don’t forget that humans lie.

And even truths that seem quite right.

Can turn to chains if gripped too tight.

So walk the path with open heart,

But let your judgment play its part.

Not every cause must be your war,

Not every voice a guiding star.

In balance, there is strength and grace—

To hold your ground, but leave some space.

For thought, for growth, for quiet pride—

And heroes walking by your side.

Not on pedestals. Not above.

Just people, flawed—but worth your thought and love.