Milk-White Moon, Put the Cows to Sleep
Milk-White Moon, Put the Cows to Sleep
Poem
Milk-white moon, put the cows to sleep.
Since five o'clock in the morning,
Since they stood up out of the grass,
Where they slept on their knees and hocks,
They have eaten grass and given their milk
And eaten grass again and given milk,
And kept their heads and teeth at the earth's face.
Now they are looking at you, milk-white moon.
Carelessly as they look at the level landscapes,
Carelessly as they look at a pail of new white milk,
They are looking at you, wondering not at all, at all,
If the moon is the skim face top of a pail of milk,
Wondering not at all, carelessly looking.
Put the cows to sleep, milk-white moon,
Put the cows to sleep.
Notes
Written by Carl Sandburg (1878–1967). 1st published in 1922.
Thanks and Acknowledgements
This poem can be found in "The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine," Volume 104 (1922).
Illustration by Monique Palomares.
