2006


At Midnight

Composed by Stephen Paulus
Text by Ted Kooser

A Heartland Portrait Song Collection


"At Midnight" is the second 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.

Text

At Midnight
by Ted Kooser

Somewhere in the night,
somewhere in the night
a dog is barking.

Somewhere in the night
a dog is barking,
starlight like beads of dew
a long his tight chain.

No one is there
beyond the dark garden,
nothing to bark at,
nothing to bark at
except the thoughts
of some old man
sending his memories
out for a midnight walk,
a rich cape woven of many loves swept recklessly
about his shoulders.

Somewhere in the night,
Somewhere in the night,
Somewhere in the night
a dog is barking.

No one is there,
no one is there
except the thoughts and memories of many loves,
many loves, many loves, of many loves, many-