Walt Whitman Poems : To One Shortly to Die

From all the rest I single out you, having a message for you,
You are to die--let others tell you what they please, I cannot prevaricate,
I am exact and merciless, but I love you--there is no escape for you.

 

Softly I lay my right hand upon you, you 'ust feel it,
I do not argue, I bend my head close and half envelop it,
I sit quietly by, I remain faithful,
I am more than nurse, more than parent or neighbor,
I absolve you from all except yourself spiritual bodily, that is
eternal, you yourself will surely escape,
The corpse you will leave will be but excrementitious.

 

The sun bursts through in unlooked-for directions,
Strong thoughts fill you and confidence, you smile,
You forget you are sick, as I forget you are sick,
You do not see the medicines, you do not mind the weeping friends,
I am with you,
I exclude others from you, there is nothing to be commiserated,
I do not commiserate, I congratulate you.

Submited by

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 01:02

Poesia Consagrada :

  • Login to post comments
  • 3999 reads
Average: 4 (2 votes)

Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman's picture
Offline
Title: Membro
Last seen: 14 years 17 weeks ago
Joined: 04/08/2011
Posts:
Points: 849

Add comment

Login to post comments

other contents of Walt Whitman

Topic Title Replies Views Last Postsort icon Language
Poesia Consagrada/Biography Walt Whitman Biography 0 10.497 04/13/2011 - 18:13 English
Poesia Consagrada/Biography Walt Whitman Biografia 0 12.753 04/13/2011 - 18:10 Spanish
Poesia Consagrada/Biography Walt Whitman Biografia 0 11.294 04/13/2011 - 18:05 Portuguese
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : Youth, Day, Old Age and Night 0 6.688 04/13/2011 - 18:03 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : You Felons on Trial in Courts 0 11.485 04/13/2011 - 18:01 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : Yonnondio 0 7.840 04/13/2011 - 18:00 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : Yet, Yet Ye Downcast Hours 0 6.925 04/13/2011 - 17:59 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : Years of the Modern 0 8.041 04/13/2011 - 17:59 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : Year of Meteors [1859-60] 0 8.385 04/13/2011 - 17:57 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : The Wound-Dresser 0 8.181 04/13/2011 - 17:56 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : The World Below the Brine 0 7.402 04/13/2011 - 17:55 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : A Woman Waits for Me 0 7.373 04/13/2011 - 17:53 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : With Husky-Haughty Lips, O Sea! 0 10.337 04/13/2011 - 17:52 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : With Antecedents 0 9.608 04/13/2011 - 17:51 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : Who Learns My Lesson Complete? 0 8.705 04/13/2011 - 17:50 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : Whoever You Are Holding Me Now in Hand 0 7.445 04/13/2011 - 17:48 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : Whispers of Heavenly Death 0 6.411 04/13/2011 - 17:47 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : When the Full-Grown Poet Came 0 8.439 04/13/2011 - 17:46 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd 0 8.041 04/13/2011 - 17:45 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : When I Read the Book 0 6.971 04/13/2011 - 17:43 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : When I Peruse the Conquer'd Fame 0 9.532 04/13/2011 - 17:42 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer 0 15.469 04/13/2011 - 17:41 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : When I Heard at the Close of the Day 0 9.549 04/13/2011 - 17:40 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : What Think You I Take My Pen in Hand? 0 6.903 04/13/2011 - 17:38 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : What Ship Puzzled at Sea 0 13.405 04/13/2011 - 17:37 English