Poems of Immortality

The Quiet Hero

(To all the good policemen)

 

By Supreme Master Ching Hai (Originally in English)

 

 

 

In the freezing wintry gust
You stand tall like a colossal Greek statue
The ocean storm seems to veer away from you
Awed by that indomitable courage!
In the sweltering haze of summer-noon
Your dignified smile diffuses complaints
The high sun would take flight, shy of your endurance.
In the chaos of traffic hour
Your assuring arms restore order
Never expecting a thanks.

When I forget to slow down on busy streets
You reproach me back to safe speed.
When I lock myself out at midnight
You “welcome home” with the master key and a smile!
When I am lost on the stressful motorway
You drive with me to the right place.
You even speak my language
Well! You did try...

Tough on the baddies
Soft on the meeks.
Though having to deal much
With negative sides of human characters
Surprisingly, your heart still reserves plenty of trust.
In ten thousand ways
You show your genuine goodness!

I remember
When we first met
You carried me off to the roadside
(My second failed attempt
On a motorbike)
You were yelling at the paramedics
“Do something, do something!
Will she be all right?
Will she be all right?”

 

 

Your face was like
That of a worried father
Your aura was like
That of an angel’s
The face I will always remember
For the rest of my life.
Oh yes, I know you well
In a foreign town
In my home village
In a scary alley so narrow and dark
On a deserted beach at dawn...
You are mostly alone
Or just with God!

You are the day-to-day bravest soldier
Fighting a constant war
Against violence and injustice
Saving the weak
Shielding the innocent.
Putting your life at risk
To keep safety and peace
For your co-citizens
And for the ones you don’t know even:
Like me eh! “Just a tourist...”

 

But I am also the public
Who is inspired to write you this poem.
For it is Noël
And this shall be our modest gift:
A feedback ribboned with something positive
Packeted with Love and sealed with Respect that’s due to you.
So that someday, when you feel: you are through
Dealing with darkness!
You may remember this letter somehow
Knowing the public loves you!
It’s just that society still breeds defects, so inexplicable!
But we’ll all try different ways to mend...

Now it is a special season
And I am not sure what to send!
(You know... to a police!)
So just sincerely wish you a nice Christmas
As the old year rolls to an end:
May we all start a happy life afresh
May our days bear pleasant events.

Hopefully they will all vanish, “the bads”
But even then
It’s always nice to see a police around
Walking tall, looking good, talking proud
In the uniform that represents protectiveness.
Strong but fair, humble but fearless
You are the Quiet Hero
Who “love what we do” (*)
And the people love you

CDLA

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

(*) Quote from a policeman, met on the street in Monaco.