No Enemies
You have no enemies, you say?
Alas, my friend, the boast is poor.
He who has mingled in the fray
Of duty, that the brave endure,
Must have made Foes, if you have none,
Small is the work that you have done.
You've hit no traitor on the hip,
You've dashed no cup from perjured lip,
You've never turned the wrong to right,
You've been a coward in the fight.

Charles Mackay

I found this in a children’s compilation of poetry I was given in 1974. It seems to be still available, in a more modern version. Louis Untermeyer, the editor, explains that the phrase “dashed no cup from perjured lip”, refers to the ancient custom of kissing a cup of wine when taking an oath. It was anyone’s duty to prevent at any cost a lying lip from touching the cup.

Alas, I am the coward the poet is addressing. My early exposure to his work obviously didn't add to my valor.