MY BOYS: Frank Poland – Lyrics & Music – A father’s reflection on his two sons.
Meet my son Randy Poland:
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Meet my son Danny Poland:
The 1983 photograph tells a wonderful story all by itself: Danny, a ninth-grade boy sitting behind a recording console, fascinated by the equipment—and years later, that same fascination becoming a career, a Recording Industry degree, a Grammy, and two Emmys. A rare image capture: The beginning of the journey before anyone knew where the road would lead.
MY BOYS!
In nineteen sixty-six, a blessing came our way,
A little boy named Randy brightened up our day;
Then nineteen sixty-eight brought Danny to our door,
Two sons to fill our hearts with love forevermore.
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From childhood days they followed roads their very own,
With different dreams and talents they had always shown;
Yet underneath their differences, one thing remained true—
The love between these brothers grew stronger as they grew.
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Randy had a way of making friends wherever he would go,
An outgoing, easy nature that helped his friendships grow;
He seemed to put folks at ease, no matter who they were,
And people found a welcome place whenever he was there.
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In high school came a calling that would shape his future days,
An Explorer program introduced him to the world of police ways;
He worked weekends dispatching for the Sheriff’s office crew,
And riding with the officers showed him what he might pursue.
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Football was another love that occupied his youth,
He studied every part of the game and played with strength and truth;
His knowledge and improvement earned recognition in the crowd,
And those who knew the young man had every reason to be proud.
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The Chattanooga Police Academy became his next new door,
And after he completed training, he was ready for much more;
Nearly three decades of service followed where he’d begun,
A career of protecting others beneath the badge he’d earned.
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A motorcycle officer, accident reconstruction too,
Were among the many demanding things that Randy came to do;
He learned the roads, the evidence, the dangers officers face,
And carried every responsibility with discipline and grace.
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Then came the FBI Safe Streets Task Force assignment he was given,
A liaison between two agencies where federal cases lived;
Working alongside the FBI was an honor he held dear,
And one particular assignment remains vivid through the years.
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He helped receive and protect the President on an official day,
A responsibility his team performed with pride along the way;
It was one more chapter in a career already long,
A memory that reminds him of the place where he belonged.
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Then Quantico came calling, where specialized training lay,
And hostage negotiation became his role each day;
During his last decade, he served upon the SWAT team,
Helping people through their darkest hours, those lost without a dream.
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He reconstructed accidents, including those where lives were lost,
And learned that every answer sometimes carried heavy cost;
He became an instructor, teaching recruits what he had learned,
And helping neighboring officers through knowledge he had earned.
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After several decades, retirement finally came,
But Randy’s heart for serving others never left the flame;
Accident reconstruction kept him traveling far and wide,
Until he sought a closer job where he could work with pride.
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Signal Mountain Police came next, where he was the sole detective,
Bringing years of knowledge to each case and every perspective;
Then Hamilton County Schools called upon his years of skill,
To serve as Risk Management Director with judgment, care, and will.
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And now he leads a national training program with care,
Preparing future officers for duties they must bear;
Protecting military bases and corporations great and small,
He continues serving others, just as he did through it all.
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Then Cindy Short came into Randy’s life along the way,
A high-school acquaintance that became his bride one day;
His family grew with children, grandchildren in the years,
And great-grandchildren brought new joy and precious cheers.
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But Randy’s greatest gift may not be found upon this page,
Or in the titles he has held throughout his working age;
He tells the stories hidden underneath the badge of many years,
And paints the lives of people with their struggles, hopes, and fears.
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The things that he experienced, the people that he knew,
Have given him a deeper understanding of what people go through;
And when he tells those stories, somehow the past appears,
As though he opens windows to those unforgettable years.
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Then there was Danny, born two years after his brother came,
A different kind of youngster, with a different kind of flame;
Neat and well-dressed, he liked the finest clothes he’d see,
But music was the fascination that would capture him completely.
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As a youngster he was fascinated by the sound of music played,
And dreamed of helping with the church’s sound crew someday;
Though that opportunity did not happen as he’d planned,
The love of sound remained firmly in his hand.
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Before the world knew much about surrounding sound,
Danny placed his speakers carefully around;
He experimented in his bedroom, adjusting every tone,
Until the music sounded perfect in the room he’d made his own.
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His father’s gospel quartet had sung for many years,
And music filled his life with harmonies and cheers;
Then came a Nashville recording trip when Danny was a boy,
And asking Dad if he could go opened up a door of joy.
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A ninth-grader entered that recording studio wide-eyed,
Watching every operation with wonder on the inside;
He asked the kind of questions that showed he truly cared,
And studied every piece of equipment that was there.
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The engineer recognized the passion in the boy,
And offered him an entry job that brought him so much joy;
At a Chattanooga studio, he learned the business from the ground,
And found the path that he would follow engineering sound.
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After high school, Middle Tennessee State became his way,
Where Recording Industry Management would shape his future days;
His years of studio experience gave him a special start,
And he entered his profession with knowledge in his heart.
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Then during his senior college year, an honor came his way,
A Grammy stood among the dreams he’d carried from that day;
For a young man fascinated by the music’s every sound,
It was an extraordinary honor—and a dream come round.
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The years that followed carried Danny far across the land,
And sometimes across the oceans where his talents were in demand;
A production engineer for artist known worldwide,
He brought his careful ear and skill to every place he traveled wide.
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Danny’s wife Rose came into his life along the way,
A Nashville acquaintance who became his bride one day;
No children but animals they enjoy with cheer,
Pets bringing them joy and precious moments throughout the year.
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Through Danny, Mom and Dad saw things they’d never seen,
Meeting artists backstage and aboard the buses was neat and keen;
Those special opportunities became memories to treasure,
Unexpected gifts of life that brought our family pleasure.
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And television brought him honors for the work that he had done,
Two Emmy Awards were added to the journey he had won;
From speakers in his bedroom to productions seen worldwide,
The little boy who loved sound had found his place with pride.
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Randy chose the road of service, Danny chose the sound,
Two very different journeys where their special gifts were found;
One protected people, one helped music fill the air,
And both pursued their careers with a dedication rare.
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Yet awards and occupations are not the greatest prize,
Nor titles on a résumé beneath life’s changing skies;
For what means most to parents when they look back through the years
Are character, love, and kindness—and the memories held dear.
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We watched them grow from boys into the men they came to be,
And every passing chapter brought another gift to see;
We watched their dreams unfold, each following his own way,
While quietly thanking God for every single day.
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And though their roads were different, their brotherhood stayed strong,
They’ve cared for one another and helped each other along;
Through changes, joys, and seasons that every family knows,
That bond between two brothers has continued as it grows.
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So Randy and Danny, if these words should ever reach your ears,
Know you’ve brought your mother and your father many years
Of memories we treasure, of blessings beyond measure,
For having you as sons remains our greatest earthly treasure.
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We never needed trophies to know that you had won,
For the greatest gift you gave us was simply being our sons;
Your lives have been your testimony, your character your song,
And watching you become men, has made us proud all along.
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Two sons, two paths, two callings, yet one family name,
Two different kinds of talents, yet the love remains the same;
And if we’re asked what blessings have meant the most to us,
We’ll simply say, “Our boys” thank the Lord for blessing us.
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Below, you will find the foundation document from which I wrote the above lyrics.
My Boys
A reflective look at the lives of my two sons, Randy and Danny.
Frank and Jane Poland were blessed with two sons: Randy, born in 1966, and Danny, born in 1968. From the beginning, both boys brought their parents a deep sense of pride. Through the years, they have lived with strong character, pursued their own distinct callings, and remained close as brothers, always caring for and supporting one another.
Randy
Randy has always had an outgoing nature, a gift for friendship, and a way of making people feel at ease. His interest in law enforcement began in high school through the Explorer program that introduced him to the skills and responsibilities of police work.
While still in school, he worked weekends as a dispatcher for the County Sheriff’s Office and was given opportunities to ride along with officers. Those experiences planted the seed for what would become a long and meaningful career in law enforcement.
In high school, Randy also played football and earned recognition for his knowledge of the game and for the progress he made as a player. He later married Cindy Short, a young woman with whom he had graduated from high school. Randy has three children, and in time his family grew to include two great-grandchildren for Frank and Jane to cherish.
Randy was accepted into the Chattanooga Police Academy, completed his training, and began a career that would span nearly three decades. During those years, he served in many demanding roles, including motorcycle officer and accident-reconstruction specialist.
He was selected to serve with the FBI Safe Streets Task Force as a liaison between the Chattanooga Police Department and the FBI on federal criminal matters. One especially memorable honor was helping receive and protect the President of the United States during an official visit—an assignment he was deeply proud to share with his fellow officers.
For the final decade of his police career, Randy served as the Chattanooga SWAT team’s hostage negotiator after receiving specialized training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He also handled major and fatal accident reconstruction. He became an instructor, sharing his knowledge with recruits at the Chattanooga Police Academy and training officers in neighboring counties.
After nearly three decades with the Chattanooga Police Department, Randy retired while still relatively young. The many sides of life he witnessed in police work deepened his understanding of others and strengthened the compassion he carries for his fellow man.
He also developed a remarkable ability to paint vivid pictures with words. His stories—drawn from years of unusual, difficult, and sometimes unforgettable experiences—allow others to see the people and moments from behind his badge.
Retirement did not bring an end to Randy’s service. He first performed accident reconstruction for major corporate incidents, although the work required extensive travel. Seeking a role closer to home, he later became the ‘only’ detective for the Signal Mountain Police Department, where he served, implementing many new processes and procedures.
Randy was then asked to accept the position of Director of Risk Management for the Hamilton County School System. In this position, his broad experience, sound judgment, and respected reputation led him to a position with one of the nation’s largest security firms.
Today, he manages a national training program, teaching security skills, processes, and procedures to future officers entrusted with protecting United States military bases and major corporate facilities. It is a fitting continuation of a life devoted to service, preparedness, and the safety of others.
Danny
Danny and his wife Rose have no children, although they lovingly refer to their five pets as their children. From an early age, Danny was known for being neat and well dressed, often favoring the latest name-brand clothing.
His true fascination, however, was sound. As a boy, he longed to help with the sound crew at church. Although that opportunity never came together, the interest never left him. Long before “surround sound” became common within industry, Danny carefully positioned speakers around his bedroom, experimenting until the music filled the space just the way he wanted.
For more than fifty years, his father, Frank Poland, has sung with a Southern gospel quartet. When the group planned a weekend recording studio session in Nashville, ninth-grader Danny persuaded his father to let him come along. That weekend became a turning point and opened the door to the career he still enjoys today.
Inside the Nashville studio, Danny observed the operation with wonder, asking thoughtful questions while viewing the equipment and techniques. The engineer recognized his genuine interest and offered him a student assist position at a new Chattanooga studio, where Danny could help with everyday tasks while learning the recording business from the ground up.
Danny immersed himself in the work, already sensing that this was the path he wanted to follow. After high school, he enrolled in Middle Tennessee State University’s Recording Industry Management program where he earned a RIM degree. Because he entered college with years of practical studio experience, he was able to distinguish himself early.
During his senior college year, Danny earned a Grammy—an extraordinary achievement that gave him an honored credential as he began his professional career.
Over the decades that followed, Danny built a career as a production engineer for national and international artists. His work has taken him to other countries and has allowed him to contribute his skill and careful ear to performances heard by audiences around the world.
Through Danny, Frank and Jane have also enjoyed unforgettable opportunities to meet major artists backstage and aboard their tour buses—experiences they likely would never have known without their son’s generosity and remarkable career.
Danny has also received two Emmy Awards for his musical production work on television documentaries. From a boy arranging speakers in his bedroom to an accomplished professional, recognized and honored by his peers, his journey has been guided by curiosity, dedication, and a lasting love for engineering sound.
A Father’s Reflection
Randy and Danny chose very different paths, yet each has built a life marked by commitment, skill, and service to others. Watching them grow from ‘our little boys’ into accomplished men has been one of Frank and Jane’s greatest blessings. More than their awards or careers, it is their character, their compassion, and the bond they share as brothers that continue to bring their family the deepest pride.