I stopped at Whitman’s grave on Wednesday afternoon. After moving around and around the graveyard we finally found it, tucked into a hill near a lake.
On the plaque near his grave are these lines of ‘Song of Myself’ and as I was trying to read them, I found the first line below was etched in a way that it looked faded, and faint. I made a final desperate quint to see this line.
| I depart as air, I shake my white locks at the runaway sun, |
| I effuse my flesh in eddies, and drift it in lacy jags. |
| I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love, |
| If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.
|
The sun managed to shine in between clouds for what must have been less than 15 seconds. But as soon as it did the whole etching was viewable and I had enough time to read that line and then the sun was gone.
Wether this meant something at all or not doesn’t matter. I’ve never believed in any form of mysticism, ghosts, or what have you. But if ever there’d been a moment for it this was it. I expected something monumental to happen, but thinking on it that parts probably up to me.
(Poem above taken from whitmanarchive.org – will create a better citation when I get back)