another shift over, but you refuse to go,
want to stay on the job until they are all found,
exhaustion takes over, your head is hanging low,
you take a nap on a blanket that's on the ground,

a nightmare wakes you up, and tears track down your face,
wearily, you suit up, slowly rise to your feet,
you dreamed it was you caught in that terrible space,
that's when you hear the little voice say, "my name's pete,"

you look down, there's a little boy in a wheelchair,
bending down, you rub his head, big tears fill his eyes,
"thank you so much for finding my daddy down there,
he's now an angel who's looking down from the skies,"

he says, "do you need a hug, someone to talk to?"
a lump forms in your throat, you don't know what to say,
you hold the boy close, you softly tell him, "thank you,
you don't realize what you did for me today,

"i was going to resign, was going to quit,
because of what happened, too many lives were lost,
we're trained to save lives, but there are times we lose it,
firemen don't give up, no matter what the cost."
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(((THANK YOU))) to the heroes in our lives.

i will always remember and never forget...
(((HUGS))) and love, karla. :(