Procrastination is not only the thief of time; it is also the grave of
opportunity.
In an old city by the storied shores
Where the bright summit of Olympus soars,
A cryptic statue mounted towards the light--
Heel-winged, tip-toed, and poised for instant flight.
"O statue, tell your name," a traveler cried,
And solemnly the marble lips replied:
"Men call me Opportunity: I lift
My winged feet from earth to show how swift
My flight, how short my stay--
How Fate is ever waiting on the way."
"But why that tossing ringlet on your brow?"
"That men may seize me any moment: _Now_,
NOW is my other name: to-day my date:
O traveler, to-morrow is too late!"
_Edwin Markham._