Homework WE 14/12/15 - Always Safe
Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:59 am
Maureen, your prompts this week got me thinking about what storm season means to me, and I couldn't go past the legacy of my 43 years in the electricity industry. So this poem is to praise the skill and dedication of the men and women involved in power restoration. When the power goes out complaints usually outnumber compliments. Line crews are often the unsung heroes - but I know just how hard they work - often under duress and in difficult situations. May they be "always safe".
Always Safe
(c) Shelley Hansen 2015
When clouds hang low in skies of green
I wonder what's in store.
What some describe as "just a storm",
to me means so much more.
You see - I worked for many years
with electricity,
and I remember long ago
the fault calls came to me.
I think of one December when
the heavens opened wide
with lashing winds and driving rain
descending side by side.
The overflow from flume-specked shores
engulfed the esplanade.
The salt spray stained the scenic views
and debris filled each yard.
The first calls came for power loss
as limbs came crashing down.
High voltage feeder damage soon
cut off supply to town.
Fault finding was in progress when
a field report came back ...
the river crossings, running deep,
had blocked the access track.
Exhausted line crews toiled all night
while I stayed by the phone,
providing links to home base so
they wouldn't be alone.
Most customers were good, but some
would try to "have a go"
because they couldn't watch some game
or silly soapie show.
Of course I had to be polite
and show some sympathy,
and try to estimate how long
the outage time might be.
But how I wished that I could speak
some other words instead ...
Our crews are risking life and limb
you fool! Just go to bed!
For many days repairs went on
to clean up and restore;
they cleared the trees from power lines
with sounds of chainsaw's roar.
So when the summer storms invade
and lightning floods the sky,
I think about the folk who work
to keep us safe and dry.
I hope that they'll be always safe
so they, like you and me,
may go back home each summer night
to friends and family.
Always Safe
(c) Shelley Hansen 2015
When clouds hang low in skies of green
I wonder what's in store.
What some describe as "just a storm",
to me means so much more.
You see - I worked for many years
with electricity,
and I remember long ago
the fault calls came to me.
I think of one December when
the heavens opened wide
with lashing winds and driving rain
descending side by side.
The overflow from flume-specked shores
engulfed the esplanade.
The salt spray stained the scenic views
and debris filled each yard.
The first calls came for power loss
as limbs came crashing down.
High voltage feeder damage soon
cut off supply to town.
Fault finding was in progress when
a field report came back ...
the river crossings, running deep,
had blocked the access track.
Exhausted line crews toiled all night
while I stayed by the phone,
providing links to home base so
they wouldn't be alone.
Most customers were good, but some
would try to "have a go"
because they couldn't watch some game
or silly soapie show.
Of course I had to be polite
and show some sympathy,
and try to estimate how long
the outage time might be.
But how I wished that I could speak
some other words instead ...
Our crews are risking life and limb
you fool! Just go to bed!
For many days repairs went on
to clean up and restore;
they cleared the trees from power lines
with sounds of chainsaw's roar.
So when the summer storms invade
and lightning floods the sky,
I think about the folk who work
to keep us safe and dry.
I hope that they'll be always safe
so they, like you and me,
may go back home each summer night
to friends and family.
