The Sidewalk-Painters' Ballad Poem by Inés de Erausquin

The afternoon is sunny,
No cloud is in the sky,
And underneath the heavens
Bright colors catch the eye,

Scarlet and green and azure,
Gay gold and creamy white
Are spread across the sidewalk
In bands of rainbow light.

The Host and Chalice form there
Between the grapes and wheat,
The fleur-de-lys is shining
Beside the lambkin sweet,

And all the pictures shimmer
In colors bright and gay
To do the Master honor
On Corpus Christi Day.

Tomorrow is the feastday
When every knee is bent
To honor Christ our Savior,
The Holy Sacrament,

And so for Him to tread on
We make the sidewalk fair
And for the great procession
A carpet we prepare;

In honor of our Jesus,
With song and laughter gay,
We make our sawdust paintings
For Corpus Christi Day.