THE FREETOWN PAVEMENT Rumour, it stalked through the village, On back country roads misbehaved, And this is the plum it carried - "The will be paved". Gossip, that old mischief-maker, Soon garbled the rumour until Confusion rolled out her smoke screen And we all went to bed with a pill. Scoffers there were who delighted In sarcasm - poured by the ton; Their favorite barb was simply, "The paving will never be done!" They argued long and with relish, The mileage the pavement might go - If it would stop at the birches, How quick they'd say, "I told you so!" The work when started was labelled A stupid mistake by a boss - It should have begun at Souris, O 'Leary, or at Kelly's Cross. The first load of asphalt renewed The rumour it would not go through It should have gone to Kinkora , Covehead , - or around to . As the pavement lengthened each day And disappeared over the hill, The prophets of doom murmured low - In fact they are murmuring still. "How far is she now?", they'd query And we thought how the song was born While a certain girl was swimming And everyone waited for morn. Believers there were who rejoiced And heaped coals of fire on the pates Of those mournful criers of woe, And the would be potentates, Believers look forth to the day The Curran and Briggs crew come back To start operations again - This time to the east of the track. We've all settled back with a sigh Not fearing a rain or a gust; No longer shall we be beseiged By mud - and more mud - or red dust. But the prophets of doom still mourn, "Thepavement won't stand up a year!" We'll still have the mud - wait and see - And dust, it will always be here!" S. Barlow Bird Note: The first pavement was laid on the in the mid 1945s and started at the CNR tracks in Freetown Village going west toward Ross' Corner . 21