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Home  »  Smoke and Steel  »  36. Far Rockaway Night till Morning

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

V. Mist Forms

36. Far Rockaway Night till Morning

WHAT can we say of the night?

The fog night, the moon night, the fog moon night last night?

There swept out of the sea a song.

There swept out of the sea—torn white plungers.

There came on the coast wind drive

In the spit of a driven spray,

On the boom of foam and rollers,

The cry of midnight to morning:

Hoi-a-loa.

Hoi-a-loa.

Hoi-a-loa.

Who has loved the night more than I have?

Who has loved the fog moon night last night more than I have?

Out of the sea that song

—can I ever forget it?

Out of the sea those plungers

—can I remember anything else?

Out of the midnight morning cry: Hoi-a-loa:

—how can I hunt any other songs now?