'Twas the night before Field Day, when all through the site

Everybody was working to build it just right.

The Gen-sets were placed round the property with care,

They’d soon be wound up and sing through the air;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While sounds of the generators danced in their heads;

And some had their 'icom, and some their kenwood,

They’d just built a fire from a pile of deadwood,

When out on the lawn there arose such a sound,

Mark’s lost his hand-held could we please look around.

Away to the field they flew like a flash,

Tore open the flaps and threw up the sash.

The evening was dark but the fireflies did glow

Gave lustre to objects on the wet grass below,

We hoped as we looked that it soon would appear,

It seemed after looking it was nowhere near,

With darkness just falling and no one could see,

We’d soon go to bed and hoped it would ID.

There were stories by the campfire and everyone came,

Some were so funny and some were quite lame;

"Some, Icom! some, Ten Tec!, and some Yeasu!

Were all covered up to keep off the dew!

To the top of the Towers! To the top of the Trees!

The antennas were performing to different degrees!"

As the sparks from the campfire went up to the sky,

Andrew told his last story while rubbing one eye,

So up to the tents the trailers we flew,

With bag full of chips and some other snacks too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard quite a sound

I heard some ID’ing. Mark’s hand held is found.

So off to dreamland we were all gone.

The night was so quiet and soon would be dawn;

As the day opened up and the dawn with a crack,

We all grabbed some breakfast some just had a snack.

Our eyes -- how they twinkled! The children were merry!

Gene grabbed his wrenches, and what he could carry!

And all of us rushed around to and fro;

Some were deciding which way to go,

We got out the gas cans and the Gen-sets were fueled;

We plugged in the fridges so the groceries were cooled,

The antennas were tweaked up and analyzed well.

Lunch was now cooking, we’d soon hear the bell

And I sighed when I looked out all over the site;

It all look so dandy, we had it just right

The rigs were all talking we had nothing to dread;

The sounds of the generators dance in my head,

We fueled one last Gen-set; then turned with a jerk,

We pulled on the rope and it started to perk,

After the last minute checks had been done;

We started the countdown to amateur fun,

We all watched the clock as the moment drew near.

The bands were just buzzing , great contacts to hear.

The moment had come and it was now time,

"Great Field Day to all, I’m all out of rhyme."