Golden Gate Bridge
by Joseph A. Morin   1945

I never will forget that day

I started off to sea
Nor that bridge, that golden bridge
That means the world to me.

It means all things I love and own
And ever wish to hold
But now it's nearly out of sight
From us, both young and old.

No one can see it now
I'm far away from home
I'm torn away from all I know
By sea and air and foam.

While we are underway I work
About the ship all day:
But all the time my spirit's low
My mind is far away.

I think I dream all night and day
Of persons things and places
I dream I have returned from was
And meet friendly faces.

Our ship is sailing days now weeks
We're near a group of islands
Now faintly as I strain my eyes
I see the tiny islands.

As we roll near I plainly see
The islands small and barren
And the anchor now is dropped
My heart it too is barren.

Most people may not know all this
Nor ever understand
But hearts can never be adorned
With only sea and sands.

We have been here for such a time
And God knows only why
I  pray so hard each day and night
But there is no reply.

Each day I see mirages fair
My mind is far away
But ere I greet some one I love
They vanish far away.

The mail reception here is poor
I seldom get a word
And every letter I receive
I answer word.

I hear from home Dad's all alone
Kid brother passed away
The girl I love regrets to say
"Dear John" what could I say.

Tonight I see the sun go down
But know twill shine tomorrow
With all my heart I pray to God
I too will have a morrow.

The days go on and on and on
And still the islands here
But wait tomorrow we'll be off
To further lands than here.

Tomorrow never comes they say
But maybe they are wrong
Cause yesterday the order came
And now I know they are wrong.

I seem to have forgotten home
What difference does it make
We're sailing in a danger zone
And back we'll never make.

Why do speak like this you ask
You wouldn't do as such
But I know you would too despair
If you saw half as much.

We stop for fuel on our way
By a group of isles
We'll be here a little while
Then on to distant isles.

While we are here we go ashore
In parties making cheer
And in the shade of tropic trees
We sit and drink our beer.

The scuttlebutt is running wild
Just rumors, but they say
From that island, our stop
Japan's not far away.

We're off again, its nothing new
Like tumbles for a tumbler
I get to like the rolling blue
That rocks me off to slumber.

We're getting nearer all the time
To oriental land
And as the time goes marching on
We see the Nippon land.

We see it now that land beyond
Tis twice we see this shore
The first time was but months ago
When troops we took ashore.

Possession of this land we  hold
Won by blood and gold
And our dear trophy to retain
We empty our holds.

No time to sleep but plenty food
We work all night and day
Our holds are empty fore and aft
At dawn the second day.

And now as our goal is reached
Our mission well completed
We're off into a deep deep sleep
Reposing not defeated.

Stateside bound is what I hear
That causes me to waken
The anchor weighed,were underway
And now the coarse is taken..

The convoy slowly edges in
The sea is very peaceful
But ere as dusk is coming in
It doesn't seem so peaceful.

The gentle breeze is now a gale
Whistling through the rigging
The rolling swells are dashing waves
From the storm proceeding.

All hands on deck are slashing fast
The gear on deck a drifting
While swiftly rushes on
The tempest bleak and daring.

Monstrous waves come charging on
Like hills and mountains rolling
Whitecaps foaming o'er their tops
Like lava madly flowing.

The ship is tossing plunging rocking
Like a roller coaster
Walking o'er the pitching deck
Each man is sent to stagger.

Sicker yet I've never been
Since I have been a sailing
And now I wake up to the sun
The storm now quickly fading.

A few days pass and land is seen
We stop for mail and oil
And now were off to cross the stretch
That leads to native soil.

The days drag on like centerpieces
The minutes seem like hours
All  hopes are h high, were standing by
To see that land of ours.

Weeks go by like months to all
But look! where sea meets sky
Tis land I see the land so free
The land for you and me.

I never did forget that day
I started off to sea
And once again I see "That Bridge"
That means t he world to me,