THE business man, the acquirer vast,
After assiduous years, surveying results, preparing for departure,
Devises houses and lands to his children-bequeaths stocks, goods-funds for a
school
or hospital,
Leaves money to certain companions to buy tokens, souvenirs of gems and gold;
Parceling out with care-And then, to prevent all cavil,
His name to his testament formally signs.
But I, my life surveying,
With nothing to show, to devise, from its idle years,
Nor houses, nor lands-nor tokens of gems or gold for my friends,
Only these Souvenirs of Democracy-In them-in all my songs-behind me
leaving,
To You, who ever you are, (bathing, leavening this leaf especially with my
breath-pressing
on it a moment with my own hands;
-Here! feel how the pulse beats in my wrists!-how my heart’s-blood is
swelling,
contracting!)
I will You, in all, Myself, with promise to never desert you,
To which I sign my name.
(Walt Whitman)
More Poetry from Walt Whitman:
Walt Whitman Poems based on Topics: Man, Friendship, Education, Name, Sign & Symbol, Gold- A Proadway Pageant (Walt Whitman Poems)
- A Boston Ballad, 1854 (Walt Whitman Poems)
- A Woman Waits For Me (Walt Whitman Poems)
- A March In The Ranks, Hard-prest (Walt Whitman Poems)
- A Riddle Song (Walt Whitman Poems)
- A child said, What is the grass? (Walt Whitman Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Man Poems, Friendship Poems, Name Poems, Gold Poems, Education Poems, Sign & Symbol PoemsBased on Keywords: souvenirs, cavil, assiduous, surveying, contracting, s-blood, formally, devises, them-in, leavening, parceling