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Home  »  Smoke and Steel  »  29. Laughing Blue Steel

Carl Sandburg (1878–1967). Smoke and Steel. 1922.

V. Mist Forms

29. Laughing Blue Steel

TWO fishes swimming in the sea,

Two birds flying in the air,

Two chisels on an anvil—maybe.

Beaten, hammered, laughing blue steel to each other—maybe.

Sure I would rather be a chisel with you than a fish.

Sure I would rather be a chisel with you than a bird.

Take these two chisel-pals, O God.

Take ’em and beat ’em, hammer ’em, hear ’em laugh.