| Carl Sandburg (1878–1967). Chicago Poems. 1916. |
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| 69. Iron |
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| GUNS, | |
| Long, steel guns, | |
| Pointed from the war ships | |
| In the name of the war god. | |
| Straight, shining, polished guns, | 5 |
| Clambered over with jackies in white blouses, | |
| Glory of tan faces, tousled hair, white teeth, | |
| Laughing lithe jackies in white blouses, | |
| Sitting on the guns singing war songs, war chanties. | |
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| Shovels, | 10 |
| Broad, iron shovels, | |
| Scooping out oblong vaults, | |
| Loosening turf and leveling sod. | |
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| I ask you | |
| To witness— | 15 |
| The shovel is brother to the gun. | |
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