Carl Sandburg

From “Assyrian Tablets”
From the Fourth Millennium, B.C.—(Free translation)

SHAMASH,

If he knows copper hair

And blood-flower lips,

Shamash watches you

For my sake.

Bilbea, I was in Babylon on Saturday night.

I saw nothing of you anywhere.

I was at the old place and the other girls were there,

But no Bilbea.

Have you gone to another house? or city?

Why don’t you write?

I was sorry—I walked home half-sick.

Tell me how it goes.

Send me some kind of a letter.

And take care of yourself.