A Different American Hero

by Charles R. Vermilyea Jr. / November 23rd, 2025

“And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches towards Bethlehem to be born.”

“The Second Coming” a poem by William Butler Yeats (1920).

Our Hero Speaks

“I.

Respect.

No.

Thing.

I.

Have.

No.

Shame.

I.

Do.

Not.

Feel.

Guilt.

I.

Do.

Not.

Feel.

Empathy.

I.

Revel.

In.

Inflicting.

Pain.

Fear.

I.

Am.

The.

Culmination.

Of.

Evils

I.

Am.

THE.

ROUGH.

BEAST.”

Charles R. Vermilyea Jr. is a retired Hartford Courant news copy editor. B.A. English/history, University of Connecticut (1967). Army veteran, 2/10 Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers (Korea, 1962/63). Read other articles by Charles.

This article was posted on Sunday, November 23rd, 2025 at 8:00am and is filed under Poetry.