the man behind the mask in poetry

in diminished amazement
the everbrooding Batman
witnessed Clark Kent
resurrect yet again
as happens so often
for the two of them
as well as all of the
goddamn Superfriends

death made him the Batman, after all
two mundane bullets, two bodies fall
in every reboot of the cosmic game
that detail remains just the same
some facts get fudged
but never their names
the doctor and missus
Thomas and Martha Wayne

Aquaman reborn via travel through time
Robin brought back by Ra’s magic slime
Cyborg rebooted on rich Bruce’s dime
Diana ageless gods keep her in prime
even cruel Mister Freeze
remade just from his head
but Thomas and Martha are
dead and stay dead

deus ex machina
refills the cape
a fake-out cliffhanger
an absurd escape
heroes can’t stay dead
that’s not what they do
but his parents never
come back in part two

with every return
a bit less surprise
with every return
deader behind the eyes
with every return
a hollower sigh
with every return
he asks again why
do only my parents
permanently die?

when Jimmy Olsen comes back
I reckon he’ll finally snap