First Response

The Brewery in Bricktown

     Some Saturday afternoon

     Days after?

     Weeks?

Whenever it was

It was still happening

In walked the firefighters, the EMTs

‘Wearied’ might be a description

     so long as descriptions

     and the grossest of understatements

     can be on mutually inclusive terms

Up to the second floor they immediately proceeded

     Not expecting

     Nor requiring

The standing ovation that erupted

     as they marched

I do not remember a lot of smiles lighting up their faces

But it was a part of them

To serve

To respond

To rescue

And that they wore this as they marched up the stairs

     was visible

I’ll never know how long they’d been toiling that day

     If the human toll

     Blended with the Federal debris

What a toll it ultimately took

Nor if a complimentary burger and beer on the house

     could ever be thanks enough

Nor if our first response as a grateful public

Could ever make theirs worthwhile