"WHAT DOES COURAGE MEAN?" 

One day my son asked me, Dad?
What does courage mean?
At first I simply answered,
No fear of certain things.
Then in that same instant,
I looked across the street,
I saw my neighbours running,
And jumped up from my seat.

As I ran out the front door,
I saw what had torn their lives,
The house that they had built and loved,
Was burning before my eyes.

We quickly called the firemen,
And the minutes seemed like years,
Then they came from everywhere,
To battle our biggest fears.

They swiftly set up their weapons,
And clad their armor in a flash,
Then they faced the dragon,
A monster of fire and ash.

They boldly rushed into the flames,
To face the devil and pick a fight,
Risking the very life they held,
For another on that night.

No one was trapped inside that home,
But a life was still at stake,
For they have seen many homes lost,
And have seen many hearts break.

So once again they fight their enemy,
A War they can never win,
For if they win the battle,
The devil runs to burn again.

But while the devil was in that house,
they walked into his lare,
Facing his evil talons,
With water and a stare.

They saved my neighbour's home,
And the houses all around,
They then cleaned their weapons,
Letting their armor fall to the ground.

It wasn't until the morning,
That I realized what all had taken place,
When I went into the house,
I saw the scar of the devil's face.

That is when I turned to my son,
And answered his question again,
Now a wiser man, I said
When you think of courage, son,
Think always of the firemen.
 

~Author Unknown~