Golden Opportunity


The restaurant was crowded though the hour was early,
With patrons of all kinds lining up for a seat,
The air inside was running on full blast for full comfort,
And people took advantage to escape the harsh heat

I watched from a corner at two young men at the bar,
Sipping their drinks while scanning the crowd,
Judging the women as they’d slip through the doorway,
Showing no shame as they said scores aloud

“I’m still getting those visions,” one said to the other,
“Have you gone to a doctor?” the other replied,
“My uncle’s a doctor; you could go to see him,”
“Oh I already tried that,” the first young man lied

“There’s a seven,” he pointed, avoiding the topic,
“I’d say eight, but those glasses put her into my range,”
“But back to those visions”, his friend said as she passed,
“Well, that’s not the only thing going on that’s been strange…”

Candron, the first one, was drinking a Kuors Lite,
His friend (no importance) was having a shot,
When in through the arches of this fine establishment,
Came a girl whose sole rating could only be “Hot!”

Though the weather was wretched and blazing like Ifrit,
She wore a red scarf wrapped tight round her neck,
Though truth be told if we’re going by instincts,
The scarf wouldn’t be the first thing you’d check

A delight and a vision, this woman was golden,
Both of skin and of hair, with shining blue eyes,
The lad was so smitten that when she walked by,
Her smile at Candron caught him quite by surprise

“Way out of our league Can,” his friend said to him,
Shaking his head while turning back to his drink,
But Candron heard nothing; he could only see beauty,
It was all he could do, he could not even think

She laughed as she passed him, both gentle and pure,
Sounding like soft silver bells being rung,
Then he noticed that attached to the end of her scarf,
It seemed four tiny bells had deftly been hung

The woman glanced over her shoulder back at him,
Smiling so coyly in that way women can,
With raise of a brow he knew he was summoned,
It was time to go prove himself as a man!

Then she slipped through a doorway, little bells ringing,
And he dashed after her, deserting his friend,
Though he knew that he’d hear about it tomorrow,
Such beauty was fleeting, and friendships could mend

Shooting out the arches, Candron looked around him,
It looked unfamiliar, which gave him a start,
Having grown up in Backwoods, not exactly “big city”,
He thought that he knew this area by heart

Then he heard the bells jingle, or was it her laughter?
And off round the corner the young man gave chase,
A glimpse of red fabric, and though he moved swiftly,
The sound of bright silver was winning the race

Eventually the laughter and jingling grew quiet,
And distraught, young Candron ran down a side street,
With a sigh he stopped to catch his spent breath,
When he saw his gold vision standing there so sweet

As she turned to go, he called to her “Wait!”
“Might I have a name to go with such grace?”
“First you’ve got to catch me!” she said with sweet laughter,
A perfect smile beaming like the sun on her face

And then off through the alley she ran, bells ringing,
Feet seeming to never even touch the ground,
Desiring more than ever this enduring beauty,
The man kept following the heavenly sound

Looking around him, Candron thought it strange,
Never had he been here, yet he’d seen it before,
Perhaps déjà vu, but that didn’t seem likely,
To his mind it seemed like it meant something more

Flashes of gold crossed with red filled his sight,
Frantically he followed it through a dark maze,
He knew he must find it, must seek this gold vision,
Though the world around him was lost in a haze

Splashes of silver broke through the vision,
Clearing his mind with their high gentle ring,
Standing on a sidewalk he found himself thinking,
Wondering what this new vision might bring

Nearby him now he could see the gold woman,
Smiling and waving as she stepped off the cement,
Melted heart turned frozen in fear at the sight,
A huge truck that’s path quickly towards her was bent

Like lightning he ran for her, praying to Rainere,
Asking for miracles only a goddess could wield,
As he reached the woman he pushed her aside,
And held out his hand in front like a shield

Eyes closed, young Candron hoped for a quick death,
The impact of the semi would make sure of that,
His past flashed before him, nothing special he’d admit,
But why be picky when your future looks flat?

He waited for the crunch, the sound of snapping bones,
But heard not a screech, nor a panicked yell,
To his surprise, all that he heard,
Was the soft gentle whisper of a sweet silver bell

He opened his eyes- yes he still had them,
And looked in wonder at what he could see,
The large truck was suspended in air right before him,
As high, he supposed, as a young maple tree

His hand out before him, he felt a thin thread,
Connecting his mind to the truck in the sky,
With an effort he thought about lowering it down,
The driver protesting at being so high

Shocked and amazed at the feat he had done,
Candron sharply remembered the woman he’d found,
Looking round for the beauty, he saw not a thing,
Save for a red scarf folded there on the ground

Now I stepped in, as proud as could be,
I greeted him with a salute on my chest,
“Welcome, my son, to the folds of the mages”
“You’ve done superb on your first test.”

I could say that he took it calm and mature,
But I would be lying, and this you would know
Truth to tell he reacted…outgoing, I’ll put it,
Indeed, the young man put on quite a show

It’s to be expected; but it struck me as odd,
And baffles me still though I`ve given it thought
He seemed less upset that the truck was quite real,
And much more perturbed that the woman was not!