The Nineteen

Do not cast your eyes upon the fire burning there,

Eighteen and I have laid to rest among the towering pine.

Do not wait for us to come, we've been recalled elsewhere,

Heaven needs a hotshot crew to clear and cut a line.

Do not mourn too long for us, the job is not complete,

Fire rages, homes endangered, and we need more hands.

Our part is over now, yet do not admit defeat;

We have simply been recalled to protect Heaven's lands.

Work remains, and noble too; destruction yet to thwart;

Do not shed a bitter tear, nor hold a lasting grudge,

Our brothers dear, sisters too, will need moral support

To finish what we've started here, a line that won't budge.

After all the fire's out, and we've saved all that we can,

Remember proudly how we rushed to aid our fellow Man.