1

To think of time . . . . to think through the retrospection,
To think of today . . and the ages continued henceforward.

Have you guessed you yourself would not continue? Have
　　　you dreaded those earth-beetles?
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.

To think that the sun rose in the east . . . . that men and
　　　women were flexible and real and alive . . . . that
　　　every thing was real and alive;
To think that you and I did not see feel think nor
　　　bear our part,
To think that we are now here and bear our part.

2

Not a day passes . . not a minute or second without an
　　　accouchement;
Not a day passes . . not a minute or second without a corpse.

When the dull nights are over, and the dull days also,
When the soreness of lying so much in bed is over,
When the physician, after long putting off, gives the
　　　silent and terrible look for an answer,
When the children come hurried and weeping, and the
　　　brothers and sisters have been sent for,
When medicines stand unused on the shelf, and the
　　　camphor-smell has pervaded the rooms,
When the faithful hand of the living does not desert the
　　　hand of the dying,
When the twitching lips press lightly on the forehead
　　　of the dying,
When the breath ceases and the pulse of the heart ceases,

Then the corpse-limbs stretch on the bed, and the living
　　　look upon them,
They are palpable as the living are palpable.

The living look upon the corpse with their eyesight,
But without eyesight lingers a different living and
　　　looks curiously on the corpse.

3

To think that the rivers will come to flow, and the snow fall,
　　　and fruits ripen . . and act upon others as upon us
　　　now . . . . yet not act upon us;
To think of all these wonders of city and country . . and
　　　others taking great interest in them . . and we taking
　　　small 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.

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.

Slowmoving 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.

4

Cold dash of waves at the ferrywharf,
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 stagedriver . . . . the cortege mostly
　　　drivers.

Rapid the trot to the cemetery,
Duly rattles the deathbell . . . . the gate is passed . . . . the
　　　grave is halted at . . . . the living alight . . . .
　　　the hearse uncloses,

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 goodfellow,
Freemouthed, quicktempered, not badlooking, able to take
　　　his own part,
Witty, sensitive to a slight, ready with life or death for
　　　a friend,
Fond of women, . . played some . . eat hearty and drank
　　　hearty,
Had known what it was to be flush . . grew lowspirited
　　　toward the last . . sickened . . was helped by a
　　　contribution,
Died aged forty-one years . . and that was his funeral.

Thumb extended or finger uplifted,
Apron, cape, gloves, strap . . . . wetweather clothes . . . .
　　　whip carefully chosen . . . . boss, spotter, starter,
　　　and hostler,
Somebody loafing on you, or you loafing on somebody . . . .
　　　headway . . . . man before and man behind,
Good day's work or bad day's work . . . . pet stock or mean
　　　stock . . . . first out or 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.

5

The markets, the government, the workingman's wages
　　　. . . . to think what account they are through our
　　　nights and days;
To think that other workingmen 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 others,
　　　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 election? or with your
　　　wife and family?
Or with your mother and sisters? or in womanly housework?
　　　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.

Your farm and profits and crops . . . . to think how
　　　engrossed you are;
To think there will still be farms and profits and crops
　　　. . yet for you of what avail?

6

What will be will be well -- for what is is 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 pleasure from poems;
The domestic joys, the daily housework or business, the
　　　building of houses -- they are not phantasms . . they
　　　have weight and form and location;
The farms and profits and crops . . the markets and wages
　　　and government . . they also are not phantasms;
The difference between sin and goodness is no apparition;
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!

7

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.

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 sufficiently . . . .
　　　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.

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 drunkards and informers and mean persons
　　　cannot be eluded.

8

Slowmoving and black lines go ceaselessly over the earth,
Northerner goes carried and southerner goes carried . . . .
　　　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 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,
A zambo or a foreheadless Crowfoot or a Camanche is not
　　　nothing,
The infected in the immigrant hospital are not nothing
　　　. . . . the murderer or mean person is not nothing,
The perpetual succession of shallow people are not
　　　nothing as they go,
The prostitute is not nothing . . . . the mocker of religion
　　　is not nothing as he goes.

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 and drunkards and 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 without
　　　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.
If otherwise, all these things came but to ashes of dung;
If maggots and rats ended us, then suspicion and treachery
　　　and death.

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?

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.

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
　　　sin 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 will yet pass on.

O 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.

I cannot define my satisfaction . . yet it is so,
I cannot define my life . . yet it is so.

9

I swear I see now that every thing has an eternal soul!
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 nebulous
　　　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.