A dog shouldn't spend it's life in a cage,
Where even a week can feel like an age.
Sad and alone, not knowing when it will end,
Wishing and hoping for a new human friend.
But thanks to every volunteer's donated time,
And every donators dollar, cent or dime,
A new life is given to each beautiful pooch,
A new family to love, cuddle and smooch.
So thank you to everyone, your kindness is rare,
We thank you so much, for your help and your care.

~ Written for the Oahu SPCA

Two hours with pay
To roam around town
Anything, to get away
This cube paints my frown

I used to do it just to get away
But now I am not so sure
Now I take,
                No I mean volunteer,
                                        My day
The one moment I can savour

Never thought pleasure would come
By giving a helping hand
Never thought a smile would be from
Helping those that life has left astrand

I travel the town for miles
Deliver the weekly meals
Return to work with a genuine smile
A frown, upside down, now heals


Well at least for a little while.

We risk our lives everyday
every time that we clock in,
it's our way of life and what we do
  its the way it's always been.
  
We wake at 3 am to bells ringing
and sirens blare,
we leap to our feet and go get dressed
to fight deep in Hells lair.

In the darkness we don our gear
******* helmet and boot,
as one these brothers all get up
go sliding down the chute.

We run to the truck now wide awake
and with ease we slide in,
we put on our headsets to hear each other all other noise becomes a low din.

We race to the scene where smoke is showing
no one knows who got out,
we put on our airpacks and our masks
to talk we must now shout.

With axe in hand we enter therein
the Devils home amidst the flame,
we quickly search for everyone
boy, girl, man and dame.

The air is hot we can feel it through
the clothe armor that we wear,
but on we search through the building
till we realize we're low on air.

Another​ crew goes in
In their hands the hose
To find the seat of the flames
It's advancement to oppose

We cut the roof we pull the ceiling
Our hands and feet lose all feeling

We find a child we cover them up
We rush back to the door
We bring them to safety and go back in
To check and search for more

For hours the cycle repeats
Till all is said and done
The fire is out, we've done our job
This time we won

No fire is left and all are safe
We put our tools and hose away
And go back to the station
Where hopefully we'll get to stay

Our gears been scrubbed
Time to rest our exhausted bodies

We wake at 8 am to bells ringing
and sirens blare,
we leap to our feet and go get dressed
to fight deep in Hells lair...

To all of the nameless...
faces in the crowd at an event
your unity is endearing
it's currency and time you have spent

To all of the nameless...
wanderers sleeping outside in the cold
your fight to survive is empowering
spirit the only thing that remains unsold

To all of the nameless...
users who've surpassed last call
your denial is where the battle begins
a war cry against substance and ethanol

To all of the nameless...
children who lack a daily feast
your hunger no fault of your own
basic human rights have been breached

And to all of the nameless...
believers giving life to cause
your actions are restorative
but we must hold off on applause

When people are united &
hunger and struggle still exist
efforts must be given
until the problems are fixed

tears in my eyes, my version blur,
my heart pounds, my body shivers,
push myself to the edge,
for them,
I must....

many thoughts in their mind,
innocent faces, can not hide,
I see...

one and only thing left in my mind
for them, I must....


(c) Ko Win Khine aka. D Hlaine (May 25th, 2011.  NYC)