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Hero Of The Week
The Hero of the Week
Memorial Day 2002
This year’s Memorial Day was different
From any previous Memorial Day
A wordless, poignant final tribute went
To CIVIC heroes on this day of May.
Called “Closure Day” to mark Recovery’s end,
In awesome silence marched the pageantry
Until the tribute’s pealing Saraband
Began to ring and toll heartbreakingly.
“The bell tolls for us all“- the poet said-
As fire fighters make their final round
And with this last salute to rest are laid
Five the five plangent peals once more resound.
Inspired, -spoke the Poet Homilist*
“I am involved, - the death of any man
Decreases me, for every man that is
I am a part of him and coalesce”.
The worker rakes in spite the evil smell
And stirs the sacred ground to gather ash
On zero ground struck by the fiend from hell
And stares into the pit and fearful gash.
Eight months of grueling toil so sad and grim,
The final girder beam at last hauled off,
The work man still is left, -do bow to him
This “Closure” worker still does mourn his love
He will persist to rake and stir and seek
A heart- salute the Hero of the Week!..
*John Donne
Preacher and Poet
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