Prairie Dawn

A crimson fire that vanquishes the stars;
A pungent odor from the dusty sage;
A sudden stirring of the huddled herds;
A breaking of the distant table-lands
Through purple mists ascending, and the flare
Of water ditches silver in the light;
A swift, bright lance hurled low across the world;
A sudden sickness for the hills of home.

Credit

This poem is in the public domain.

About this Poem

“Prairie Dawn” was originally published in Cather’s collection April Twilights (The Gorham Press, 1903). A sister poem “Prairie Spring” appeared as the prologue to her novel O Pioneers! (Houghton Mifflin, 1913).