The Duel

THE DUEL

By

Richard Vance


Two warriors do meet at dawn
Upon majestic steeds they come,
No knives or sabers will be worn
And neither man has armor on;
They stand upon the battlefield
And slip the pistols from the case,
The honored duel must be upheld
The injured one must not lose face;
And now close combat will decide
The slower pistol’s deadly fate,
Just one can live and one must die
The contest’s outcome cleans the slate;
A body lies upon the ground
With lifeblood spilled the answer’s found.