"Something Told the Wild Geese," by Rachel Field

Something told the wild geese
It was time to go.
Though the fields lay golden
Something whispered,—‘Snow.’
Leaves were green and stirring,
Berries, luster-glossed,
But beneath warm feathers
Something cautioned,—‘Frost.’
All the sagging orchards
Steamed with amber spice,
But each wild breast stiffened
At remembered ice.
Something told the wild geese
It was time to fly,—
Summer sun was on their wings,
Winter in their cry.

+ Rachel Field

Rachel Field was an uncommonly versatile writer, winner of both the National Book Award and the Newbery Medal for Children’s Literature (the first woman to receive a Newbery). The daughter of a New England clergyman, Field often wove theological themes into her work, both explicitly and implicitly. Much of her writing — such as this beloved poem — can be enjoyed by all ages, a remarkable and rare virtue.