One of the greatest challenges of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Was finding a way to bypass the Great Falls that blocked the way.
A solution was reached over the course of time, one that might prove fatal
To those who were asked to construct a lock without delay.

The project was arduous, difficult, and a strain
One that was almost impossible to those on the outside
But determination and desire drives men to endure pain
Even when it could mean for success they would die.

The obstacle that required such dedication
Was a large falls that plunged 80 feet within the short span of a mile
Meaning no boats could pass, no matter how much determination.
That is why locks were required, but they were added with style.

The task took nearly twice as long as expected
Seventeen years passed from the time when it began
Encountering problems that planning had not detected.
At times they had to wonder if ever a working lock would e’er stand.

Five locks were to have served as the way to move boats
Raising and lowering them as they circumvented the falls.
To accomplish this black was used, billowing its blackened smoke
Taking out rocky cliffs, blasting through it all.

The passage of time has seen much at the locks since.
Children standing in awe of a barge as it passes
Serene on the water, no hint of the pain that made so many wince.
A place so different from what came before, showing pain does not last.

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