And lastly, let us glance
At a medieval tale
In which the hero’s stance,
Not his war-warped stunts,
Will tell us how to feel.
A Viking warrior once
Was called “the children’s man”
When, for the commonweal,
He broke ranks with his clan,
Spearheading this advance:
He chose not to impale
Children on his lance.
Stephen Kampa is the author of three collections of poetry: Articulate as Rain, Bachelor Pad, and Cracks in the Invisible. He teaches at Flagler College.