Vault: Poignant reminders from 1982

These two poems came from different Transporters in 1982. Each in its own way, they serve as poignant reminders to slow down:

The Old Road
The old road winds down the canyon side,
Right by my cabin door,
Then crosses the creek on the wooden bridge,
There on the canyon floor.

Now a new bridge spans the canyon wide,
Where cars rush to and fro,
And the old road lies forsaken,
Just a memory of long ago.

Its face is scarred by the wind and rain,
The track in the grass is dim,
And I have moved to the new road,
Close to the city's din.

The old road was a friendly one,
For the folks that came my way,
Would often stop and rest a while,
And pass the time of day.

And at night some weary traveler,
When he saw my candlelight,
Would stop and have a bite to eat,
And maybe stay the night.

But the folks on the new road never stop.
They go whizzing right on by,
And as I watch I wonder,
From whence to where and why?

The folks on the old road just jogged along,
Enjoying things as they came,
The fragrance of the new-mown hay,
Or a field of ripening grain.

But the folks on the new road hurry along,
With their faces lined with care,
Their only thought, it seems to me,
Is just on getting there.

So now I live on the new road,
With its human ebb and flow,
But my heart is on the old road,
Where I lived so long ago.

Oldtimer (Gooding)

If Everyone
If everyone who drives a car,
would lie a month in bed,
With broken bones and
stitched-up wounds,
Or fractures of the head,

And there endure the agonies,
that many people do,
They'd never need preach
safety any more to me or you.

If everyone could stand beside,
the bed of some close friend,
And hear the doctor say, "No
hope," before the bitter end,

And see him there unconscious,
never knowing what took place,
The law and rules of traffic
I'm sure we'd all embrace.

If everyone could meet the
wife and children left behind,
And step into the darkened
home where once the sunlight shined,

And look upon the vacant
chair where daddy used to sit,
I'm sure some reckless drivers
would be forced to think a bit.

If everyone who takes the
wheel would say a little prayer,
And keep in mind those in the
car depending on his care,

And make a vow and pledge
himself to never take that chance,
A great crusade for safety
would suddenly advance.

Author Unknown

Published 06-28-19