He stood at the crossroads
all alone,
The sunrise in his face;
He had no thought for the
world unknown,
He was set for a manly race;
But the road stretched East,
And the road stretched West,
And the boy didn’t know which
road was the best,
So he took the wrong road,
Went down — down — down.
He lost the race and the
victor’s crown–

He was caught at last in the
angry snare
Because no one stood at the
crossroads there
To show him the better way.

Another day at the self-same
place
A boy with high hopes stood.
He, too, was set for a manly
race,
He was seeking the things
that were good.
But one was there who the
road did know
And that one showed him the
way to go,
So he turned away from the
road that led down,
He won the race and the
victor’s crown;
He walks today in the
highways fair
Because one stood at the
crossroads there
To show him the better road.

–Sadie Tiller Crowley