| Harriet Monroe, ed. (1860–1936). Poetry: A Magazine of Verse. 1912–22. | | | | The Naked Stranger | | By Carl Sandburg |
| | | IT is five months off. | |
| Knit, stitch, and hemstitch: | |
| Sheets, bags, towels, these are the offerings. | |
| When he is older, or she is a big girl, | |
| There may be flowers or ribbons or money | 5 |
| For birthday offerings. Now, however, | |
| We must remember it is a naked stranger | |
| Coming to us; and the sheath of the arrival | |
| Is so soft we must be ready, and soft too. | |
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| Knit, stitch, hemstitch, it is only five months. . . . . . . . . . . . . | 10 |
| It would be easy to pick a lucky star for this baby | |
| If a choice of two stars lay before our eyes— | |
| One a pearl-gold star and one pearl-silver— | |
| And the offer of a chance to pick a lucky star. . . . . . . . . . . . . | |
| When the high hour comes | 15 |
| Let there be a light flurry of snow, | |
| A little zigzag of white spots | |
| Against the gray roofs. | |
| The snow-born all understand this as a luck-wish. | | | | |
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