THE STRAIGHTENING BLOCK

in memory of a simple american who worked for sixty years
making his contribution to industrial america by taking
bent and twisted structural metal and making it straight,
the same job, the same work station, for sixty years

HERE STANDS L.C. HARRIS, THEY SAY HE'S 84 - OR FIVE - OR SIX
I HAVE KNOWN HIM FOR A SHORT TIME, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THIS:

WHEN I LOOK I DON'T SEE CUTTER HARRIS AND I DON'T SEE THE RAVAGES OF TIME I SEE INSTEAD A MAN NAMED MR. HARRIS AND I SEE HIM IN HIS PRIME

DAY AFTER DAY, MONTH AFTER MONTH, FOR ALMOST SIXTY YEARS
THE TATTOO OF HIS HAMMER BLOWS TOASTED LIFE WITH ENDLESS CHEERS

HIS WORK IS VERY SPECIAL, HE DOES WHAT FEW OF US CAN
HE TAKES THE BENT AND TWISTED METAL AND MAKES IT NEW AGAIN

WITH FAULTLESS EYE AND UNERRING TOUCH, HE PLIES HIS CRAFT WITH PRIDE
NO BEND OR TWIST CAN GET PAST HARRIS AND NOTHING IS CAST ASIDE

FOR L.C.'S WORK IS THE STRAIGHTENING BLOCK AND THERE'S MAGIC WHERE HE STANDS
FOR THERE IS IRON IN L.C.'S BLOOD AND THERE IS STEEL IN L.C.'S HANDS

GOD TOO HAS HIS WORK STATION, WE FEEL HIS HAMMER NOW AND THEN
FOR IT IS AT THE STRAIGHTENING BLOCK OF LIFE THAT BOYS ARE CHANGED TO MEN

GOD BLESS YOU L.C. HARRIS FOR THE LESSON YOU HAVE TAUGHT
THUS AT THE STRAIGHTENING BLOCK OF LIFE OUR CHARACTER MUST BE WRAUGHT

SO FAN THE FLAME OF AMBITION AND LET THE LIGHT OF DEDICATION SHINE
TO GUIDE US ON OUR JOURNEY THRU, THE STRAIGHTENING BLOCK OF TIME

WILLIAM EVERYMAN 1986