Litany of the Prairie
Back in the day there was grass everywhere
Sedges far as eye could see
Little bluestem, wild iris, and side oats grama
Forbs like butterfly milkweed
The prairie held such beautiful things
So many plants blowin’ in the breeze
The golden alexander, queen of the prairie
Purple clover and the partridge pea
The prairie’s rich soil has built up for years
Soaking water up when it appears
Shallow and clumpy and bunchy roots
Help support the life that’s living here
Purple coneflower and Black-eyed Susan
Prairie sage and the swamp milkweed
The spiderwort and compass plant, gray goldenrod,
They’re all in this grassy prairie
It was beauty
A beauty for your soul to behold
So much beauty
A beauty that can never grow old
The sedges and the rushes, perennials
In their home together
The prairie dog and prairie frogs
The bison and the Great Horned Owl
Prairie moles, gophers, badgers and squirrels
All living in this prairie world
There were foxes and turtles,
Vibrant life all around
Lots of insects crawling on the ground
Spittle bugs, beetles, and butteflies
Moths and nighthawks flying around
It was beauty
A beauty for your soul to behold
So much beauty
A beauty that can never grow old
The sedges and the rushes, perennials
In their home together
That was then but today it has changed
The prairie just isn’t the same
There is cropland, corn and soybeans all around
And erosion in the field abounds
But there are still a few strips of grass
With perennial growth mixed in
They slow down the water right after it rains
And sediment can settle again
We need to try just as hard as we can
To bring forth the prairie where we can
Creatures all around, the rabbits are romping
‘Cause they have so much playing ground
Amazing forbs, colors blooming at will
Foxes roaming near and far
Species in abundance, vibrant life all around
The colors of the blazing star
It was beauty
A beauty for your soul to behold
So much beauty
A beauty that can never grow old
The hummingbirds are happy
And we are, too
In our home together