Alert--Brave--Confident--
A real fire-fightin' fiend,
With more than ten years service
Killing fires and saving people.
******
Adventurous--Bold--Capable--
A lad in early thirties,
Jim agreed to be my driver
When I first became a Chief.
******
Articulate--Brotherly--
Competent--
He helped run my Battalion--
Hollywood's nine fire crews
housed in seven stations.
******
Able--Calm--Dependable--
Jim was my friend and Aide.
Attacking burning buildings,
He was my "back-up" eyes and ears.
******
Agile--Cool--Discerning--
Compassionate for Blacks,
He loyally supported me
In pursuing fair-play goals.
******
Enthusiastic--Friendly--
Faithful!--
He was always warmly greeted
By firemen and Dalmatians,
Whenever we'd stop by.
******
Good-hearted--Generous--
Genial--
He helped me build gym toys
At White Memorial's school
For "CP" girls and boys.
******
Honest--Happy-- Handsome--
Mischievous devil too,
But loving to his bonny wife,
And doting to his dainty daughter.
******
Manly--Muscular--Nimble--
Jim shared my zeal for Judo.
At nearby gym we'd often stop
And practice making bruises.
******
Jubilant--Jocular--Jouster--
He would challenge
handball champs.
And beat them swiftly, playing
In his turnout coat and helmet.
******
Patient--Pleasant--Perceptive--
Jim was kind and sympathetic
To the hurts and needs of others.
******
Dressing wounds of injured
victims.
Fetching donuts for the firemen
And the kids at burned-out
buildings,
Seeking help to find some
housing
For the homeless and distressed.
******
An apartment house was
belching smoke
From upper story windows,
Firemen with their hose
and ladders
Soon had the blaze extinguished.
******
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I then sent
all the
companies "home,"
And looked around for Jim.
Entering a small back room,
My hasty search was ended.
******
There a lovely lady stood,
Naked form neck to feet,
Holding her robe above her hear,
While she slowly turned for Jim.
******
He examined her unclad body
From toe to dimpled chin.
In astonished vice,
I quickly asked,
"What are you doing, Jim?"
******
"Checking for burns,
" was his reply,
"Her nightgown was aflame.
Cigarette caused the bedding fire,
And she's lucky to be alive!
******
I told her she'd be less
embarrassed,
With her robe around her face,
While I closely checked her body,
For burns in any place."
******
"How thoughtful," I said,
"But She's not--
Why keep her turning round?"
"Just being thorough, Chief,"
he said,
"Don't want to miss a spot!"
******
Friendly, beyond mere duty,
Kind to women, near and far.
A connoisseur of female beauty,
Jim was like a movie star.
******
Driving home from
conquered fires,
We'd cruise past "Grauman's"
on our way,
Heading for the
Street called "Vine,"
Jim's roving eye would
often stray.
******
To lovely girls in open cars,
He'd give an invitation,
"How's about a cup of coffee?
Come join us at the station."
******
And like as not, they'd say,
"Why not?"
His smile their hearts did sway,
"We've got the time
--you've got the place,
So you just lead the way!
******
Of course the firemen
were delighted
With Jim's fine public relations,
And would have had
him Knighted
For his thoughtful invitations.
******
|
Madcap clown, at
times he was,
His playful, pixie humor
Kept his buddies laughing
At his crazy, zany, antics.
******
I'll ne'er forget the time,
'Twas on inspection day,
To fool a rookie fireman,
Jim swapped hats with me.
******
As we drove up to the station,
The watchman rang the gong,
The firemen came form
everywhere,
For "lineup" and inspection.
******
Jim stepped forth, as I would do,
With a nod toward the Captain.
Old "Cap" looked and
saw my wink,
Then yielded to the gag.
******
With smart salute,
which Jim returned.
"Cap" yelled out instantly,
"All present or accounted, SIR!"
With face straight as it could be.
******
The men were trying not to laugh
At the rookie--"taken in."
As Jim continued down the line,
And finally stopped at him.
******
"Don't you know the
hair-length rule?
Why don't you get it cut?"
"But I'm an actor on days-off,
And directors hate it short."
******
"By God, you are a fireman now--
Long hair will never do!"
In his sternest tone,
Jim bellowed out,
"Cut it, or you're through!"
******
The awed young man stood
stiff and straight,
And gave a quick reply.
"Yes, Sir, I'll go right now,
There's a barbershop nearby."
******
Then Jim and I swapped hats again,
His fearsome act was done,
The firemen then all
laughed out loud,
The rookie joined the fun.
******
Tireless, and always thoughtful
He often volunteered
To work for other members,
And to be an Acting Captain.
******
And so it was, that fatal night,
Responding to his last alarm--
As Engine Company Acting Captain--
He was sent outside the City.
******
When Jim arrived upon the scent,
No County crews were there.
He helped his men lay hose lines to
The blazing carpet warehouse.
******
|
Into the smoking,
choking furnace,
With heat intense,
and rafters burning,
Jim's nozzle spewed its hissing spay
On flaming tongues around him.
******
Unquenched by spray
or scalding steam,
The snakes of fire hissed louder,
Consuming floor joists overhead,
Supporting mezzanine.
******
Heavy carpets soaked with water
Warped the wooden timbers.
With creaky, cracking,
crunching noise,
The balcony crashed under.
******
Jim yelled, "Get out!", to men behind,
Shutting down his nozzle.
They dropped the hose and
scurried back,
Escaping just in time.
******
But not Jim!
******
Vulnerable to bashing beam--
No way could he survive.
As his broken helmet told it all--
DEAD--at thirty five!
******
I wasn't there, but I was called,
And of this fact I'm certain,
Jim bravely fought that final fire
'Till Fate bright down the curtain.
******
Devastated and despairing,
His death was such a blow,
I dreaded going to his home
To let his family know.
******
Mournful messenger of sorrow,
I slowly drove to see
A stunned and grieving wife
and child,
Who'd heard in on TV.
******
(News reporters, I hear tell,
Had seen Jim's name spelled out
Upon his crushed and broken helmet,
Retrieved from where it fell.)
******
A roaring, raging, flood broke loose
Within my bursting heart.
Blending with their flowing tears,
I let my rivers start.
******
In the frequency hereafter--
In this life's afterglow--
I'll bet Jim is teasing devils,
Helping Peter run the show!
******
For in this new dimension,
Jim's not fighting fire,
But making dates with angels,
And singing in the choir!
******
****
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