Guys, I really have no idea. I think my muse is toying with me... I dislike rhyming prose on the whole but... this is what she gave me.

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"Selfless, devoted, ferociously loyal,
A lifetime of service, hard work and toil
Salvation, redemption, a beacon of hope
Stands tall against evil, that slippery slope
From which so few return, once they descend
The hero will fight it, stay true to the end."

But once the deed is done
and the villain's on the run
Leaving only broken dreams
across this land that teems
with people still in need;
so, the hero isn't freed
Until he's helped each one
And when the work is finally done
What's left? Just a man
who's given all he can
and can finally take his rest
while the people all forget
The one who gave his all
and pulled them out of evil's thrall
Now that he's done the job
He'll fade back into the mob
of people who no longer care.
I ask you is it fair?

The hero saved them all
Did not hesitate, to answer duty's call
Risking life and limb.....
but who, now, will save him?

...when you first posted it, Chess!

I like this one a lot! Not only does it fit quite nicely with the "heroic theme" of our little gaming community, here, but it also kind of hit me in a place that puts me in mind of troops returning home from war, you know? Those men and women leave home to go and serve our country(ies) when they're called... They do so selflessly and, sadly, some of them don't ever get to come home because they were being heroes to the rest of us... Then, those who do come home oftimes tend to "fade back into the crowd" and are left alone with those horrific things they brought back with them with, sad as it is to say, little more than a 'thank you' from any of the rest.

Well done, my man, and thanks for sharing... I'm printing this one and hanging it on my bulletin board at work!