A Highway Is Made-Verse by Robert Bartol.

A Highway Is Made

It started out as two ruts through the sand. Folks didn't care for this was bad land. But someone found copper and gold on the hill, And they needed machinery to put up a mill. Someone spilled water in the valley below; Wind brought seed, and it started to grow. The valleys and hills brought them great wealthThe air and sun gave them good health. Now the time changed, for it was good land, But the road still remained two ruts through the sand. Then someone invented the automobile, But the ruts didn't fit that kind of a wheel. So the motoring public set up hue and cry, And a good roads body was formed by some guy. Most folks went along with Old Dobbin, the toter, So they called in the men with hairy earsYou know whom I mean the engineers. The folks said, “With our roads we've been lax! We'll get some money with a gasoline tax.” So they dug in and made the rocks fly And folks with cars all heaved a big sigh. Though it was just gravel and not much of that; Still you could ride it and not lose your hat. More folks came in to farm the new land, But gone were those two ruts through the sand.

Now the guy at the wheel had only one creed: All that he wanted was speed and more speed. Gravel was fine, but not very fast; Under such speed it just wouldn't last. So when the old road began to wear thin, They gave it a big shot of adrenalinThat sounds like medicine to you and you, But to oil men it's just plain SC2. Folks shouted with glee, and clapped a hand, They said, “This sure beats those ruts through the sand.” So they widened, spiraled and banked the curves, For the kinds of drivers who didn't have nerves. They built in all the safety they knew, Then looked 'round to see what else they could do. You guessed it they planted trees and shrubs to beautify; But maybe you missed it as you sped by. Here it is now, folks, done up in black with a ribbon of white, It's a swell job, but it was a long hard fight. Now it's mighty easy to whizz 'cross the landGosh, ain't it swell, no ruts through the sand!

While a few of the brave whizzed by in a motor. Then a fellow named Ford brought out the “Tin Lizzie,” And folks decided they ought to get busy, Because those contraptions covered the land, And they didn't like those two ruts through the sand.