Falltime
from Redhaw Winds
Gold of a ripe oat straw, gold of a southwest moon,
Canada-thistle blue and flimmering larkspur blue,
Tomatoes shining in the October sun with red hearts,
Shining five and six in a row on a wooden fence,
Why do you keep wishes shining on your faces all day long,
Wishes like women with half-forgotten lovers going to new cities?
Tomatoes shining in the October sun with red hearts,
Shining five and six in a row on a wooden fence,
Why do you keep wishes shining on your faces all day long,
Wishes like women with half-forgotten lovers going to new cities?
What is there for you in the birds, the birds, the birds, crying down on the north wind in September — acres of birds spotting the air going south?
Is there something finished? And some new beginning on the way?
~~
Carl Sandburg (1878-1967)
from Poetry, October 1918
[Poem is in the public domain in Canada and the United States]
Carl Sandburg biography
Carl Sandburg is a giant of poetry, sadly becoming obscure to modern readers...
ReplyDeleteMarvelous example of the artistry of the overlooked Carl Sandburg by modern readers....
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