| Carl Sandburg (1878–1967). Smoke and Steel. 1922. |
| |
| IV. Playthings of the Wind |
| 5. Dusty Doors |
| |
| CHILD of the Aztec gods, | |
| how long must we listen here, | |
| how long before we go? | |
| |
| The dust is deep on the lintels. | |
| The dust is dark on the doors. | 5 |
| If the dreams shake our bones, | |
| what can we say or do? | |
| |
| Since early morning we waited. | |
| Since early, early morning, child. | |
| There must be dreams on the way now. | 10 |
| There must be a song for our bones. | |
| |
| The dust gets deeper and darker. | |
| Do the doors and lintels shudder? | |
| How long must we listen here? | |
| How long before we go? | 15 |
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