Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there including my husband Peter and his father Peter – just a couple Boston jakes! Enjoy this very special poem written to my husband Peter by his mom Susan after he became a proud member of the BFD.
Two Jakes
They’re just a couple of Boston Jakes
This father and his son
He’s a seasoned veteran
While the other’s just begun.
The younger has heard stories
Of the day when he was born
How they sounded all the sirens
To announce, “Peter has a son!”
He watched his dad come home from work
Exhausted to the bone
And drag himself straight up to bed
Happy to be home.
He heard about the Vendome
And other tragic fires
Where someone paid the highest price
That firefighting requires.
He also saw the friend Dad made,
Saw brotherhood defined
For they depended on each other
When their lives were on the line.
And when the boy became a man
His dream was to become
A Boston Jake, just like his dad
A calling second to none.
For saving life and property
Is the job they’re called to do
No matter what the hour or the weather,
they’ll get through.
And as his mother watches
With pride and trepidation
She sees her son receive his badge
To fulfill his life’s vocation.
Now when she goes to sleep each night
Her prayer’s a simple one:
Dear God, grand your protection
To my husband and my son.
-By Susan Gailunas
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
