"What Is A Fireman?"

He's the guy next door .. a man's man,
with the memory of a little boy.
He has never gotten over the excitement of
engines and sirens and danger.
He's a guy like you and me,
with warts and worries and unfulfilled dreams.
Yet he stands taller than most of us.

He's a fireman

He puts it all on the line when the bell rings.
A fireman is at once the most fortunate and 
the least fortunate of men.
He's a man who saves lives because
he has seen too much death.

He's a gentle man because he has seen the awesome power
of violence out of control.
He's responsive to a child's laughter because his arms 
have held too many small bodies that will never laugh again.

He's a man who appreciates the simple pleasures of life ..
hot coffee held in numb, unbending fingers .. a warm bed for
bone and muscle compelled beyond feeling .. the camaraderie
of brave men .. the divine peace and selfless service of a job
well done in the name of all men.

He doesn't wear buttons or wave flags or shout obscenities.
When he marches, it is to honor a fallen comrade.
He doesn't preach the brotherhood of man.

He lives it
 

Author Unknown