I have published this before, but recently have had a few requests to see it again. In 1943, Mom and Dad and I drove to Chicago, Illinois, to go to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, to see my Brother who was in training there in a V-12 program. While there, we attended a Sunday Morning church service in the chapel. I remember that Eddy Peabody, the banjo king that we had heard on the radio many times played during the service, and the chaplain ended the service with this poem. Have never forgotten the experience. Here is that poem ........ and, many years later we returned to see our son Brad graduate from boot camp.

The Bridge Builder
by Will Allen Dromgoole

An old man, going a lone highway,
Came, at the evening, cold and gray,
To a chasm, vast, and deep, and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.


The old man crossed in the twilight dim;
The sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned, when safe on the other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.


"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim, near,
"You are wasting strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again must pass this way;
You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide-
Why build you a bridge at the eventide?"


The builder lifted his old gray head:
"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,
"There followeth after me today,
A youth, whose feet must pass this way.


This chasm, that has been naught to me,
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him."

The Bridge Builder

I have printed this before, it always comes to mind around the holiday season. The first time I heard it was 1943, my Brother was in the Navy at Great Lakes in Chicago. We drove up from Ohio to see him. We went to a Sunday Morning church service while there. I remember Eddy Peabody, the Banjo King, was there, and played some hymns on his banjo. The Chaplain used this poem in his sermon. I was only 11, and was awed by the whole visit. Probably the only sermon I actually remember.
The Bridge Builder

An old man, going a lone highway,
Came at the evening, cold and gray,
To chasm, vast and deep and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim;
The sullen stream had no fears for him;

But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.
"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim near,
"You are wasting strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again must pass this way;
You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide --
Why build you the bridge at the eventide?"

The builder lifted his old gray head:
"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,
"There followeth after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pit-fall be,
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him."

Will Allen Dromgoole