Prairie Waters by Night

Carl Sandburg, 1878–1967, Cornhuskers, 1918

For this collection of 103 poems, Sandburg won the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry of 1919.

3. Prairie Waters by Night

Chatter of birds two by two raises a night song joining a litany of running water—sheer waters showing the russet of old stones remembering many rains.

And the long willows drowse on the shoulders of the running water, and sleep from much music; joined songs of day-end, feathery throats and stony waters, in a choir chanting new psalms.

It is too much for the long willows when low laughter of a red moon comes down; and the willows drowse and sleep on the shoulders of the running water.