Poetry Written by
  "The Men Who Were There"




Jim Brown wrote this poem for an Easter Sunrise Service in 1944,
while he was a POW at the Textile Mill in Mukden, Manchuria.

                  "Now I’m not a preacher, and it’s a shame I ain’t,
                        ‘Cause to be a proper Parson, one most needs to be a Saint.
                  I’m just one among the many, trudgin’ down life's weary road
                        and at times it’s rough agoin’, cause the trail is over growd.
                  But there’s forks in life's road yonder, where they lead I know quite well,
                        The first one leads to Heaven and the other leads to Hell.
                  The first one’s straight and narrow, leadin’ upward all the way,
                        with only faith to help one thru the long and weary day.
                  The other’s slopin’ downward, easy goin’ you might say,
                        but once you reach the bottom it’s there you gotta stay.
                  Now if you’ve took the latter, pause -- retrace your steps and say
                        "With JESUS CHRIST to help me, I’ll try the other way."