By Karin Soderberg
(with apologies to Alfred, Lord Tennyson)
I
One day, and one day more
And onward they came to the home of problems.
Ten HAH men and their truck.
“Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the tools!” Steve said.
Into the home needing repairs
On Hildreth Road.
II
“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man afraid?
Maybe no one knew
Exactly what to do.
Just figure it out, and get all the tasks done.
So into the house of problems, large and small,
Entered the 10 men with talents for all.
III
Challenge to the right,
More to the left.
Surprises in front of them
Volleyed and thundered.
Boldly they sawed and hammered
Till each job was done,
And the place was swept clean.
Ten men and their HAH truck of tools.
IV
Like a well-trained army,
They performed with precision.
Attacking the rot, the broken and rusted.
They manually hoisted two heavyweight sliders
To the second-floor grabbers
Till all was mended and looking like new.
And the homeowner confessed, “It’s amazing what you do.”
V
“All this work and not a charge to me.
However can this be?”
So they smiled and relayed
How they loved helping others
To stay safe, warm and dry in the home that they love.
It might have been “the mouth of hell,”
But they triumphed because of a job done well.
VI
So on to the next house
With pitfalls unknown,
But knowing the men,
They will get it done
Because they are …
Ten men and a truck!
