The Lineman

I was looking over a back up CD and found this poem. I do not remember who sent it to me. I am sharing.

The Lineman

They sings of the men as goes down to the sea;
Of the heroes of cannon and swords;
An, writes of the valors of dead chivalry,
An, the bravery of old knights 'n lords.

They sighs 'cause the romance of knighthood is past
'Cause there ain't no ideals any more;
They says that this world's a rollin' too fast
To develop that "esprit de corps."

But them as complains are the ones as don't know,
Who sits loose where it's warm and then kick -
They ain't never seen a line saggin' with snow
An' had to get Service back - quick!

They ain't never struggled with Death at their side,
A-snappin' and hissin' and pale -
Nor clung to the towers and grimly defied
The assaults of the blizzards and gale.

They sit and are served with never a thought
Of the fellers out pluggin' like hell -
To supply at their touch the service they've bought
With a light, or the sound of a bell.

These fellers ain't togged out all shinin' in steel.
They don't ride around on no hoss -
They don't sing no songs about how they feel
In the gales when the feeders may cross.

They don't wave no banners embroidered in gold,
In Latin nobody can read;
They don't do no bragging of deeds that were bold,
Their motto is "SERVICE AND SPEED.'.

Their armor ain't nothin' but slickers an' boots
Their weapons are climbers and pliers
Their battles are fought up where hi-tension shoots
An' Death lurks unseen on the wires.

They're fightin' the gales and the blizzards an 'ice,
Protectin' the towers and span
With effort no measured in hours or price
For one Cause - just Service to man!

So here's to the Lineman - The Son-of-a-Gun
That can do without sleep for a week!
That sticks to the job 'til it's every bit done
And the feeders can carry the peak.
For his is that Knighthood that's noblest by far
That highest and mightiest clan,
That's fightin the battles of Things-as-they-are, in the cause of the Service of man.

Contributed by TradeMasters (Bruce Masse) bmasse@axionet.com