1855 – Walt Whitman's New York http://citytech.lookingforwhitman.org exploring Whitman's home turf Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:10:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.4.30 Song of Matt http://mkgold.lookingforwhitman.org/2009/09/08/song-of-matt/ http://mkgold.lookingforwhitman.org/2009/09/08/song-of-matt/#respond Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:56:34 +0000 http://mkgold.lookingforwhitman.org/?p=12 IMG_1963-bw

. . .

Sit awhile wayfarer,
Here are biscuits to eat and here is milk to drink,
But as soon as you sleep and renew yourself in sweet clothes I will certainly kiss you with my goodbye kiss and open the gate for your egress hence.

Long enough have you dreamed contemptible dreams,
Now I wash the gum from your eyes,
You must habit yourself to the dazzle of the light and of every moment of your life

Long have you timidly waded, holding a plank by the shore,
Now I will you to be a bold swimmer,
To jump off in the midst of the sea, and rise again and nod to me and shout, and laughingly dash with your hair.

I am the teacher of athletes,
He that by me spreads a wider breast than my own proves the width of my own,
He most honors my style who learns under it to destroy the teacher.

. . .

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