THE FIREFIGHTER STOOD AN FACED HIS GOD,
WHICH MUST ALWAYS COME TO PASS
HE HOPED HIS SHOES WERE SHINING,
JUST AS BRIGHLY AS HIS BRASS
"STEP FORWARD NOW, YOU FIREFIGHTER, HOW SHALL I DEAL WITH YOU?
HAVE YOU ALWAYS TURNED THE OTHER CHEEK?
TO MY CHURCH HAVE YOU BEEN TRUE?
THE FIREFIGHTER SQUARD HIS SHOULDERS?
"NO,LORD, I GUESS I AIN'T
BECAUSE THOSE OF US WHO FIGHT FIRE, CAN'T ALWAYS BE A SAINT,
I'VE HAT TO WORK MOST SUNDAYS,AN AT TIMES MY TALK WAS ROUCH,AND SOMETIMES
I'VE BEEN VIOLENT, BECAUSE THE STREETS ARE AWFULLY TOUGH.
BUT. I NEVER TOOK A PENNY, THAT WASN'T MINE TO KEEP.
THOUGHI WORKED A LOT OF OVERTIME
WHEN THE BILLS GOT JUST TOO STEEP,
AND I NEVER PASSED A CRY FOR HELP,
THOUGH AT TIMES I SHOOK WITH FEAR, AND SOMETIMES, GOD FORGIVE ME, IVE WEPT
UNMANLY TEARS
I KNOW I DONT'T DESERVE A PLACE AMONG THE PEOPLE HERE
THEY NEVER WANTED ME AROUND EXCEPT TO THE CALM THERE FEARS.
IF YOU'VE A PLACE FOR ME HERE, LORD, IT NEED NOT BE SO GRAND,
I NEVER EXPECTED OR HAD TOO MUCH, BUT IF YOU DON'T, I'LL UNDERSTAND.'
THERE WAS A SILENCE ALL AROUND THE THRONE
WHERE THE SAINTS HAD OFTEN TROD
AS THE FIEREFIGHTER WAITED QUIETLY, FOR THE JUDGMENT OF HIS GOD
"STEP FORWARD NOW YOU FIREFIGHTER, YOU'VE BORNE YOUR YOUR BURDENDS WELL,
WALD PEACEFULLY ON HEAVEN'S STREETS, YOU'VE DONE YOUR TIME IN HELL."