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TRIBUTE TO A BLACK FIRE FIGHTER
I heard
the engines' clanging gongs
A block or two away.
And then I saw the raging
fire,
Dark smoke and waters'
spray.
I saw
the shiny ladder
As it reached up to the
wall.
And then I saw him climbing,
Climbing upward, toward the
call.
His
black hands gripped the ladder,
Which he climbed with sured
pace.
The smoke engulfed his body.
Flames danced about his
face.
"I
can't hold on! Please help me!"
A youthful voice, a pleading
cry.
"Hold on! I'm coming!"
Was his firm assured reply.
The
roof began to crumble.
The buildings' end was near.
Those below began to scatter
At the sound which filled
their ears.
His
dark face was gripped with horror,
His mind was seized by fear.
As he reached the firey
window
He heard - "Swing the ladder
clear!"
In
that next heroic moment
As I closed my eyes to pray,
A black hand grasped the
child
and lifted him away.
There atop the ladder
Clearly seen by every eye,
Were the fireman and child
Dark silhouettes against the
sky.
He
was grimy, and hot and haggard
As he stepped down to the
ground.
A cheer arose - he smiled,
But he never turned around.
When a reporter asked his name,
I heard him quietly say -
"NO NAME PLEASE"
"Compared to bigotry and
other barriers I've overcome,
This was an easy day."
-JAMES 0. ROGERS, Author
The
following Poem was composed by Gracelyn Greenridge As a tribute to Black
firefighters at the Memorial Service during
the 2000
Biennial Convention in Barbados, WI
OUR HEROES
Our God in His wisdom and
mercy
Has placed in the hearts of
mankind
Such a love for their home
and country
That they lay their lives on
the line
To protect the life of their
fellowman
To whom fortune has dealt a
great blow
As he helplessly sees his
possession
Disappear in the fire’s
fierce glow
We shall always remember
those heroes
Who battled the great wall of
flame
They fought against the
raging foes
But never returned home
again.
They
have not lost the struggle
They fought well to defend
The homes, the lives and
properties
Of stranger, foe and friend.
You
fight not for fame and
glamour Nor
for fickle praise of man
Not even for glory nor honour
But you do the best you can,
Though you efforts are often
applauded
Many times you are also
maligned
But, holdfast: you’ll be
greatly rewarded
Not by man, who is so unkind
Black firefighters, remember
You’ve a hero in Jesus Christ
He is your perfect example
Of the supreme sacrifice.
For
He stood in the face of peril,
And for us face the danger
and strife
He who conquered the forces
of evil
He gladly surrendered His
life.
Brave men and women of valour,
Stay faithful to the end;
You are each other’s keeper
Be unto each one a friend.
Stay
committed to your
brother,
His cause you must defend,
Love and support each other
For on you a life may depend.
Firefighters
International,
We salute you all
today,
We tip our hats to one and all
In a very special way.
May
the God of Heaven defend you
May you feel His love and
care
May his grace and peace
attend you
This is our heartfelt prayer.
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"A man without knowledge of himself and his
heritage
is like a tree without roots."
-Dick Gregory
"If I have learned anything in my life,
it is that bitterness consumes the vessel
that contains it"
-Ruben "Hurricane" Carter
"We must turn to each other
and not on each other"
-Jesse L. Jackson
"You can't make someone else's choices.
You shouldn't let someone else make yours."
-Colin Powell
"Let
nothing and nobody
break
your spirit"
-Jesse L. Jackson
"There's a lot of talk about self esteem
these days.
It seems pretty basic to me.
If you want to feel good about yourself,
you've got to do things that you can be
proud of."
-Osceola McCarty
If you have more great thoughts
please send them to
JeffCAFA |
