Once a long time ago, before you were born,
God set out to make a new land, one early morn.
He thought and thought for half a day.
Then said, "I know what I'll do. I'll make the U.S.A."
First He used a glacier-like a giant broom
And swept the Midwest till it was clean and smooth.
God leaned on the handle when He was through
And said, "There! I guess that will do for a corn patch or two."
Then He turned the glacier into a spade
And with a few strokes scooped out the Great Lakes.
He dug Niagara Falls for a lovely fountain
And tossed the first West to make the Rocky Mountains.
God started the great Mississippi from a little spring
And sent it flowing down the map clear to New Orleans.
You can float on a barge and watch white heron flying
Or catch twenty-pound catfish just ready for frying.
On each side of the country, He set an ocean with beaches of sand
And winds full of salt spray like giant fans.
He put whales and fish along each coast
And notched deep harbors for huge sailing boats.
God looked at His work and said,
"That's grand but I need a border of garden around this land
Where it's never cold, but not too hot.
I want to plant oranges, grapefruits, and lots of kumquats."
So He made the South full of fruit, and flowers
And told the sun, "Shine right there four hours and hours"
He made dark Cyprus swamps, mysterious and calm
Hung Spanish moss on the trees and planted coconut palms.
Out West, He grew forests and liked them so much
He turned some to stone so they'd never be cut
Planted dates and grapes and roses for miles
Then added the desert for a giant sandpile.
In the North, He sent snowy winters across the map
With skating and sledding and maple syrup to tap
He added hundreds of dairy cows giving milk and cheese
And for juicy pies, planted the cherry and apple trees.
As a finishing touch to His fine new land
God sent wind in the trees for a soft string band
He looked it over and smiled when He was through
Said, "There! I guess that will do for a million years or two."