Porch Swing in September

"Porch Swing in September" is the fourth song of Stephen Paulus' song cycle A Heartland Portrait: Five Songs for Baritone and Piano, which sets the poetry of Ted Kooser.

The sheet music is self-published and available through the composer's website.

Date: 2006Composer: Stephen PaulusText: Ted KooserSong Collection: A Heartland Portrait

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Text

Porch Swing in September
by Ted Kooser

The porch swing hangs fixed in a morning sun
that bleaches its gray slats, its flowered cushion
whose flowers have faded, like those of summer,
and a small brown spider has hung out her web
on a line between porch post and chain
so that no one may swing without breaking it.
She is saying it’s time that the swinging were done with,
time that the creaking and pinging and popping
that sang through the ceiling were past,
time now for the soft vibrations of moths,
the wasp tapping each board for an entrance,
the cool dewdrops to brush from her work
every morning, one world at a time.

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