Opportunity

This I beheld or dreamed it in a dream,
There rose a cloud of dust along a plain.
And underneath that cloud or in it raged
A furious battle where men yelled,
And sword shocked upon sword and shield.
A prince's banner wavered,
Then staggered backwards hemmed by foes.

A craven hung along the battles edge and said,
"Had I a blade of keener steel,
That blue blade that the king's son bares;
...but this blunt thing."
And snapped and flung it from his hand
And lowering, crept away and left the battle field.

Then came the king's son, wounded, sore, bested and weaponless,
And saw the broken sword hilt buried in the dry and trodden sand,
And ran and snatched it up, and with battle shout lifted afresh
And hewed his enemy down, and saved a great cause that heroic day.

-Edward R. Sill