"Ahhh....
a poem you call forth - `tis a poem you request.
Then of Arthur you'll hear, and the tale of The Quest.
Let your minds wander back about 800 years,
`Til visions of knights in their armor appear!"
"Now,
you've all heard the legend - you've all read the fable
About Arthur the King and the Knights of the Round Table.
Each year they'd gather in Camelot
To talk about dragons and damsels and whatnot,
And they sat at a table shaped like a ring
And the shape of that table bespoke certain things:
That no knight was seen as better than the others -
All there were equal, regarded as brothers."
"Now,
these noble knights, from their circular seating
Would disperse at the close of their annual meeting
To the North, to the South, to the East, to the West
In search of the Holy Grail - their one sacred quest.
It was a vision bestowed by a heavenly hand
To bring peace to the people and unite all the land.
Honor and Glory - their final reward
They'd forge a kingdom with the shield and the sword."
"But
their quest was elusive, the Grail not attained.
Though they searched high and low, their search was in vain.
And finally they came to realize
That FINDING the Grail was not the main prize.
The Real value they found was the means - not the ends -
The camaraderie and trust that marked them as friends.
Their friendships grew to span river and pond
Shared trials endured was the cement of their bond."/p>
"So
they'd gather each year in the City of Lights;
To tell of their journeys.... adventures.... delights.
They drank ale, told jokes, and spent time carousing;
For they were lusty young men - their passions arousing.
And their friendships grew stronger year after year,
Through shared stories.... shared lessons.... shared glasses of beer.
They brought peace to the land - hell, that ain't no mystery;
They united a Kingdom, and the rest... well it's history."
"Now,
800 years later, we too come together
To discuss raging flood waters and tornadic weather.
We gather together on the shores of this lake
To share a few laughs for camaraderie sake.
And we sit around this fire shaped like a ring,
And the shape of our fire bespeaks certain things:
That regardless of agency, size, shape, or color
All here are equal - Sisters and Brothers."
"Emergency
Management Knights, yes are we.
And our chosen quest? - Public Safety.
We bring safety and comfort to the citizen masses,
Protecting young lads, safeguarding young lasses.
Gone are the war horse, the lance and the shield
In mobile command posts we now take to the field.
We no longer fight battles from parapet and wall
But on scenes of disaster, in board rooms and in city hall."
"And
our Holy Grail too is often elusive,
Those OSHA mandates - they are seldom conducive.
Lawyers and politicians - yeah these are our lot,
And budget shortfalls more often than not.
But as often as our quest remains unmet
The bond of our friendship is still our cement.
For Arthur's knights taught us OUR BOND is the key;
Our teamwork's our anchor of sanity."
"So
we gather each year `round this circle of light
To tell of our journeys…. adventures…. delights.
Our stories and jokes help us learn lessons together
To deal with the shootings, the fires, bad weather.
And a warning to all who are rather meek at heart -
this is a passionate group - we were from the start.
So if our cynical arrows strike close to your chest
Please take no offense -it's all done in jest."
"So
join in the laughter and tell us a tale,
And share in our toast when we're hoisting an ale.
For regardless of the specific work that you do
We all can learn something from what you've been through.
And when we disperse from this annual meeting,
Stay in touch with each other until our next greeting."
"Let's
drink now a toast to the Emergency Management Knights
To success in your trials - to victorious fights.
A prayer that you'll find your Holy Grail,
And for laughter and friendship along all your trails
May we ride forth together strengthened by cheer
And all return safely to this fire next year."
"TO
THE QUEST!!!"
