Leaves of Grass | ||
32 — Burial Poem.
To think of time! to think through the retro- spection!
To think of today, and the ages continued hence- forward!
To think of today, and the ages continued hence- forward!
Have you guessed you yourself would not con- tinue? Have you dreaded those earth- beetles?
Have you feared the future would be nothing to you?
Have you feared the future would be nothing to you?
Is today nothing? Is the beginningless past
nothing?
If the future is nothing, they are just as surely nothing.
If the future is nothing, they are just as surely nothing.
To think that the sun rose in the east! that men
and women were flexible, real, alive! that
every thing was alive!
To think that you and I did not see, feel, think, nor bear our part!
To think that you and I did not see, feel, think, nor bear our part!
333
Not a day passes, not a minute or second, without an accouchement!
Not a day passes, not a minute or second, without corpse!
The dull nights go over, and the dull days also,
The soreness of lying so much in bed goes over,
The physician, after long putting off, gives the silent and terrible look for an answer,
The children come hurried and weeping, and the brothers and sisters are sent for,
Medicines stand unused on the shelf — the cam- phor-smell has pervaded the rooms,
The faithful hand of the living does not desert the hand of the dying,
The twitching lips press lightly on the forehead of the dying,
The breath ceases and the pulse of the heart ceases,
The corpse stretches on the bed, and the living look upon it,
It is palpable as the living are palpable.
The soreness of lying so much in bed goes over,
The physician, after long putting off, gives the silent and terrible look for an answer,
The children come hurried and weeping, and the brothers and sisters are sent for,
Medicines stand unused on the shelf — the cam- phor-smell has pervaded the rooms,
The faithful hand of the living does not desert the hand of the dying,
The twitching lips press lightly on the forehead of the dying,
The breath ceases and the pulse of the heart ceases,
The corpse stretches on the bed, and the living look upon it,
It is palpable as the living are palpable.
The living look upon the corpse with their eye- sight,
But without eye-sight lingers a different living, and looks curiously on the corpse.
But without eye-sight lingers a different living, and looks curiously on the corpse.
334
To think of all these wonders of city and country, and others taking great interest in them — and we taking no interest in them!
To think how eager we are in building our houses!
To think others shall be just as eager, and we quite indifferent!
To think others shall be just as eager, and we quite indifferent!
I see one building the house that serves him a few
years, or seventy or eighty years at most,
I see one building the house that serves him longer than that.
I see one building the house that serves him longer than that.
Slow-moving and black lines creep over the whole
earth — they never cease — they are the
burial lines,
He that was President was buried, and he that is now President shall surely be buried.
He that was President was buried, and he that is now President shall surely be buried.
Cold dash of waves at the ferry-wharf — posh and
ice in the river, half-frozen mud in the streets,
a gray discouraged sky overhead, the short
last daylight of December,
A hearse and stages, other vehicles give place — the funeral of an old Broadway stage-driver, the cortege mostly drivers.
A hearse and stages, other vehicles give place — the funeral of an old Broadway stage-driver, the cortege mostly drivers.
335
The coffin is lowered and settled, the whip is laid on the coffin, the earth is swiftly shovelled in — a minute, no one moves or speaks — it is done,
He is decently put away — is there anything more?
He was a good fellow, free-mouthed, quick-tem- pered, not bad-looking, able to take his own
part, witty, sensitive to a slight, ready with
life or death for a friend, fond of women,
played some, ate hearty, drank hearty, had
known what it was to be flush, grew low- spirited toward the last, sickened, was helped
by a contribution, died aged forty-one years —
and that was his funeral.
Thumb extended, finger uplifted, apron, cape,
gloves, strap, wet-weather clothes, whip care- fully chosen, boss, spotter, starter, hostler,
somebody loafing on you, you loafing on
somebody, head-way, man before and man
behind, good day's work, bad day's work, pet
stock, mean stock, first out, last out, turning
in at night,
To think that these are so much and so nigh to
other drivers — and he there takes no interest
in them!
336
The markets, the government, the working-man's
wages — to think what account they are
through our nights and days!
To think that other working-men will make just as great account of them — yet we make little or no account!
To think that other working-men will make just as great account of them — yet we make little or no account!
The vulgar and the refined, what you call sin and
what you call goodness — to think how wide
a difference!
To think the difference will still continue to oth- ers, yet we lie beyond the difference!
To think the difference will still continue to oth- ers, yet we lie beyond the difference!
To think how much pleasure there is!
Have you pleasure from looking at the sky? have you pleasure from poems?
Do you enjoy yourself in the city? or engaged in business? or planning a nomination and elec- tion? or with your wife and family?
Or with your mother and sisters? or in womanly house-work? or the beautiful maternal cares?
These also flow onward to others — you and I flow onward,
But in due time you and I shall take less interest in them.
Have you pleasure from looking at the sky? have you pleasure from poems?
Do you enjoy yourself in the city? or engaged in business? or planning a nomination and elec- tion? or with your wife and family?
Or with your mother and sisters? or in womanly house-work? or the beautiful maternal cares?
These also flow onward to others — you and I flow onward,
But in due time you and I shall take less interest in them.
337
To think there will still be farms, profits, crops — yet for you, of what avail?
What will be, will be well — for what is, is well,
To take interest is well, and not to take interest shall be well.
To take interest is well, and not to take interest shall be well.
The sky continues beautiful, the pleasure of men
with women shall never be sated, nor the
pleasure of women with men, nor the pleas- ure from poems,
The domestic joys, the daily house-work or busi- ness, the building of houses — these are not phantasms, they have weight, form, location;
Farms, profits, crops, markets, wages, government, are none of them phantasms,
The difference between sin and goodness is no delusion,
The earth is not an echo — man and his life, and all the things of his life, are well-considered.
The domestic joys, the daily house-work or busi- ness, the building of houses — these are not phantasms, they have weight, form, location;
Farms, profits, crops, markets, wages, government, are none of them phantasms,
The difference between sin and goodness is no delusion,
The earth is not an echo — man and his life, and all the things of his life, are well-considered.
You are not thrown to the winds — you gather
certainly and safely around yourself,
Yourself! Yourself! Yourself, forever and ever!
Yourself! Yourself! Yourself, forever and ever!
It is not to diffuse you that you were born of your
mother and father — it is to identify you,
It is not that you should be undecided, but that
you should be decided;
Something long preparing and formless is arrived and formed in you,
You are thenceforth secure, whatever comes or goes.
338
Something long preparing and formless is arrived and formed in you,
You are thenceforth secure, whatever comes or goes.
The threads that were spun are gathered, the weft
crosses the warp, the pattern is systematic.
The preparations have every one been justified,
The orchestra have tuned their instruments suffi- ciently, the baton has given the signal.
The orchestra have tuned their instruments suffi- ciently, the baton has given the signal.
The guest that was coming — he waited long for
reasons — he is now housed,
He is one of those who are beautiful and happy — he is one of those that to look upon and be with is enough.
He is one of those who are beautiful and happy — he is one of those that to look upon and be with is enough.
The law of the past cannot be eluded!
The law of the present and future cannot be eluded!
The law of the living cannot be eluded — it is eternal!
The law of promotion and transformation cannot be eluded!
The law of heroes and good-doers cannot be eluded!
The law of the present and future cannot be eluded!
The law of the living cannot be eluded — it is eternal!
The law of promotion and transformation cannot be eluded!
The law of heroes and good-doers cannot be eluded!
339
Slow-moving and black lines go ceaselessly over
the earth,
Northerner goes carried, and southerner goes car- ried, and they on the Atlantic side, and they on the Pacific, and they between, and all through the Mississippi country, and all over the earth.
Northerner goes carried, and southerner goes car- ried, and they on the Atlantic side, and they on the Pacific, and they between, and all through the Mississippi country, and all over the earth.
The great masters and kosmos are well as they
go — the heroes and good-doers are well,
The known leaders and inventors, and the rich owners and pious and distinguished, may be well,
But there is more account than that — there is strict account of all.
The known leaders and inventors, and the rich owners and pious and distinguished, may be well,
But there is more account than that — there is strict account of all.
The interminable hordes of the ignorant and
wicked are not nothing,
The barbarians of Africa and Asia are not nothing,
The common people of Europe are not nothing — the American aborigines are not nothing,
The infected in the immigrant hospital are not nothing — the murderer or mean person is not nothing,
The perpetual successions of shallow people are not nothing as they go,
The prostitute is not nothing — the mocker of re- ligion is not nothing as he goes.
The barbarians of Africa and Asia are not nothing,
The common people of Europe are not nothing — the American aborigines are not nothing,
The infected in the immigrant hospital are not nothing — the murderer or mean person is not nothing,
The perpetual successions of shallow people are not nothing as they go,
340
I shall go with the rest — we have satisfaction,
I have dreamed that we are not to be changed so much, nor the law of us changed,
I have dreamed that heroes and good-doers shall be under the present and past law,
And that murderers, drunkards, liars, shall be under the present and past law,
For I have dreamed that the law they are under now is enough.
I have dreamed that we are not to be changed so much, nor the law of us changed,
I have dreamed that heroes and good-doers shall be under the present and past law,
And that murderers, drunkards, liars, shall be under the present and past law,
For I have dreamed that the law they are under now is enough.
And I have dreamed that the satisfaction is not so
much changed, and that there is no life
without satisfaction;
What is the earth? what are body and soul, with- out satisfaction?
What is the earth? what are body and soul, with- out satisfaction?
I shall go with the rest,
We cannot be stopped at a given point — that is no satisfaction,
To show us a good thing, or a few good things, for a space of time — that is no satisfaction,
We must have the indestructible breed of the best, regardless of time.
We cannot be stopped at a given point — that is no satisfaction,
To show us a good thing, or a few good things, for a space of time — that is no satisfaction,
We must have the indestructible breed of the best, regardless of time.
If otherwise, all these things came but to ashes
of dung,
If maggots and rats ended us, then suspicion,
treachery, death.
341
Do you suspect death? If I were to suspect
death, I should die now,
Do you think I could walk pleasantly and well- suited toward annihilation?
Do you think I could walk pleasantly and well- suited toward annihilation?
Pleasantly and well-suited I walk,
Whither I walk I cannot define, but I know it is good,
The whole universe indicates that it is good,
The past and the present indicate that it is good.
Whither I walk I cannot define, but I know it is good,
The whole universe indicates that it is good,
The past and the present indicate that it is good.
How beautiful and perfect are the animals! How
perfect is my soul!
How perfect the earth, and the minutest thing upon it!
What is called good is perfect, and what is called bad is just as perfect,
The vegetables and minerals are all perfect, and the imponderable fluids are perfect;
Slowly and surely they have passed on to this, and slowly and surely they yet pass on.
How perfect the earth, and the minutest thing upon it!
What is called good is perfect, and what is called bad is just as perfect,
The vegetables and minerals are all perfect, and the imponderable fluids are perfect;
Slowly and surely they have passed on to this, and slowly and surely they yet pass on.
My soul! if I realize you, I have satisfaction,
Animals and vegetables! if I realize you, I have satisfaction,
Laws of the earth and air! if I realize you, I have satisfaction.
Animals and vegetables! if I realize you, I have satisfaction,
Laws of the earth and air! if I realize you, I have satisfaction.
342
I cannot define my life, yet it is so.
O I swear I think now that every thing has an
eternal soul!
The trees have, rooted in the ground! the weeds of the sea have! the animals!
The trees have, rooted in the ground! the weeds of the sea have! the animals!
I swear I think there is nothing but immortality!
That the exquisite scheme is for it, and the nebu- lous float is for it, and the cohering is for it!
And all preparation is for it! and identity is for it! and life and death are for it!
That the exquisite scheme is for it, and the nebu- lous float is for it, and the cohering is for it!
And all preparation is for it! and identity is for it! and life and death are for it!
Leaves of Grass | ||