A hero lives forever

Do I run or do I fight?
For the first time in a long time, I don’t know which is right
A dead man with courage is worthless
Yet a worm burrowed away lives for another day
But the judgment that comes upon he will be merciless

I cannot remember which is more important:
My own precious life, or that of one I have not met?
As I stare into death, I feel that my breath must be kept
However, another’s is soon to be swept, from this earth and all its life
To rest in Hell with those that die

My hands are dirty, my mind unclean
I’m a liar and cheater, a fiend
Only to prey upon others
I know I cannot change
Because in this life, only those truly lost may make their claim

But in this girl’s eyes I see a spark of hope
A glimmer of what she may become
Something more powerful than I have ever done
She deserves the chance to be a better person
I had mine, and it slipped through my hands like sand

My decision is final, my will unchanging
I can see the truth, and I know it is binding
For when in the face of fear,
The coward just might survive
But the hero will live forever, never to die