Prayer For a Telephone Lineman

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I wrote this poem as a gift for my father, Jack Jung, for Christmas in 2000. We presented to him as a framed cross stitch done by my wife. He was a lineman for the telephone company all of his adult life. He passed away in 2003. I miss you, Dad, and I'm glad I got to write this for you.

Each day I climb a dozen poles Or venture into underground holes To run the lines that carry tones Of voices into people's phones Protect me Lord as I climb high The poles that reach into the sky And please, Lord, catch me should I fall But better that not happen at all! And as I crawl through dark, small spaces Don't let me get stuck in one of those places! And Lord, give me a sturdy truck, And trusty tolls and lots of luck Because my job isn't glamorous Or thrilling, hip or amorous But it can be fun, though kind of scary Which is why I need you to be wary And make sure I come home okay At the end of every day And as I run each telephone line, I'll thank you Lord, for making this job mine

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