The Sins Of Kalamazoo Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A B A C DEFGHIJKL AKMAN O P K K E KKKC M Q R K KSKT KK KUEVKKW XLA KYZKA2B2KKV WC2KKCD2C E2F2G2E2KM MAKH2 MKPEVK KKKEP

THE SINS of Kalamazoo are neither scarlet nor crimsonA
-
The sins of Kalamazoo are a convict gray a dishwater drabB
-
And the people who sin the sins of Kalamazoo are neither scarlet nor crimsonA
-
They run to drabs and grays and some of them sing they shall be washed whiter than snow and some We should worryC
-
Yes Kalamazoo is a spot on the mapD
And the passenger trains stop thereE
And the factory smokestacks smokeF
And the grocery stores are open Saturday nightsG
And the streets are free for citizens who voteH
And inhabitants counted in the censusI
Saturday night is the big nightJ
Listen with your ears on a Saturday night in KalamazooK
And say to yourself I hear America I hear what do I hearL
-
Main street there runs through the middle of the twonA
And there is a dirty postofficeK
And a dirty city hallM
And a dirty railroad stationA
And the United States flag cries cries the Stars and Stripes to the four winds on Lincoln's birthday and the Fourth of JulyN
-
Kalamazoo kisses a hand to something far offO
-
Kalamazoo calls to a long horizon to a shivering silver angel to a creeping mystic what is itP
-
'We're here because we're here ' is the song of KalamazooK
-
'We don't know where we're going but we're on our way ' are the wordsK
-
There are hound dogs of bronze on the public square hound dogs looking far beyond the public squareE
-
Sweethearts there in KalamazooK
Go to the general delivery window of the postofficeK
And speak their names and ask for lettersK
And ask again 'Are you sure there is nothing for meC
I wish you'd look again there must be a letter for me '-
-
And sweethearts go to the city hallM
And tell their names and say 'We want a license '-
And they go to an installment house and buy a bed on time and a clockQ
And the children grow up asking each other 'What can we do to kill time '-
They grow up and go to the railroad station and buy tickets for Texas Pennsylvania AlaskaR
'Kalamazoo is all right ' they say 'But I want to see the world '-
And when they have looked the world over they come back saying it is all like KalamazooK
-
The trains come in from the east and hoot for the crossingsK
And buzz away to the peach country and Chicago to the westS
Or they come from the west and shoot on to the Battle Creek breakfast bazaarsK
And the speedbug heavens of DetroitT
-
'I hear America I hear what do I hear '-
Said a loafer lagging along on the sidewalks of KalamazooK
Lagging along and asking questions reading signsK
-
Oh yes there is a town named KalamazooK
A spot on the map where the trains hesitateU
I saw the sign of a five and ten cent store thereE
And the Standard Oil Company and the International HarvesterV
And a graveyard and a ball groundsK
And a short order counter where a man can get a stack of wheatsK
And a pool hall where a rounder leered confidential like and saidW
'Lookin' for a quiet game '-
-
The loafer lagged along and askedX
'Do you make guitars hereL
Do you make boxes the singing wood winds ask to sleep inA
Do you rig up strings the singing wood winds sift over and sing low '-
The answer 'We manufacture musical instruments here '-
-
Here I saw churches with steeples like hatpinsK
Undertaking rooms with sample coffins in the show windowY
And signs everywhere satisfaction is guaranteedZ
Shooting galleries where men kill imitation pigeonsK
And there were doctors for the sickA2
And lawyers for people waiting in jailB2
And a dog catcher and a superintendent of streetsK
And telephones water works trolley carsK
And newspapers with a splatter of telegrams from sister cities of Kalamazoo the round world overV
-
And the loafer lagging along saidW
Kalamazoo you ain't in a class by yourselfC2
I seen you before in a lot of placesK
If you are nuts America is nutsK
And lagging along he said bitterlyC
Before I came to Kalamazoo I was silentD2
Now I am gabby God help me I am gabbyC
-
Kalamazoo both of us will do a fadeawayE2
I will be carried out feet firstF2
And time and the rain will chew you to dustG2
And the winds blow you awayE2
And an old old mother will lay a green moss cover on my bonesK
And a green moss cover on the stones of your postoffice and city hallM
-
Best of allM
I have loved your kiddies playing run sheep runA
And cutting their initials on the ball ground fenceK
They knew every time I fooled them who was fooled and howH2
-
Best of allM
I have loved the red gold smoke of your sunsetsK
I have loved a moon with a ring around itP
Floating over your public squareE
I have loved the white dawn frost of early winter silverV
And purple over your railroad tracks and lumber yardsK
-
The wishing heart of you I loved KalamazooK
I sang bye lo bye lo to your dreamsK
I sang bye lo to your hopes and songsK
I wished to God there were hound dogs of bronze on your public squareE
Hound dogs with bronze paws looking to a long horizon with a shivering silver angel a creeping mystic what is itP

Carl Sandburg



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about The Sins Of Kalamazoo poem by Carl Sandburg


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 5 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets