Feel Not Sorrow

Feel not sorrow on my behalf As I slip into the past For my greatest accomplishment Is a legacy that will last I've dedicated the bulk of my life To the service of my neighbor But I've been rewarded time and again For the fruits of my labor Long ago I decided to become A member of the "brothers" Not fully knowing at that time That they were unlike all others Firefighters share a brotherhood Only we can understand Helping keep death and loss at bay Though woefully undermanned I've seen many of my peers step up Above and beyond the call Risk their lives for perfect strangers Their backs against the wall Even after their acts of heroism Have been acknowledged by their peers Still what remains as their bravest act Is merely rising above their fears For merely signing up to do this job Takes a special breed It's the willingness to risk so much That's their most heroic deed It's their bravery and dedication That sets them apart This is what makes them true heroes Whether called upon or not So when I leave this job 'I'll' know I've done the best I can I won't need anyone else to know For they couldn't understand No one can do this work too long It takes too much a toll It's very much a young man's job It slowly steals your soul To toil longer in this vocation Merely tempts fate For body and spirit is broken down - Has taken all it can take So to walk away with no regrets Is a gift unto itself I can place my firefighting in the past Place my tools upon the shelf I'll always look back on these days With fondness and affection I may even long to do it again' But I must choose a new direction The same can be said when I die Feel not sorrow for me For I've lived a life as full as possible Being all that I can be When Saint Peter greets me at the gates I'm sure he'll let me in For as a fireman I've proven myself Time and time again