June 17, 2009

Mortal Remains

We have been speaking of mortal remains.

This, the tail-end of Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself”, has always just shredded me.

I take it personally.

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.

You will hardly know who I am or what I mean,
But I shall be good health to you nevertheless,
And filter and fibre your blood.

Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged,
Missing me one place search another,
I stop somewhere waiting for you.

posted by in aesthetics, dear clusterflock, environment, etiquette, fashion, friends, how to, humans, nature, nineteenth century (sorry cindy)™, opinion, poetry, quotes, spirituality, wisdom | * | 7 comments 

comments

  1. Daryl Scroggins on June 17th, 2009 at 12:15 pm

    I have always loved that passage too. It has such a quiet courage in it that, as you say, shreds me.

  2. Deron Bauman on June 17th, 2009 at 12:42 pm

    I love Walt.

  3. scream 62,5 on June 17th, 2009 at 2:45 pm

    if you could understand this, you could see its not so different…the style is the same…even the words

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSfImI_s3Wc

  4. Phil Bebbington on June 17th, 2009 at 3:01 pm

    Beautiful words, Sheila – shred seems perfect.

    Lars, the tune is beautiful, it spoke to me. Obviously you know I do not understand German, but, so often with songs even sung in English the words are irrelevant. Yet, it is lyrics I look to to explain my feelings:

    It’s just the way that he sings,
    Not the words that he says, or the band.
    I’m in love with this soul, it’s a meaning that I understand.

  5. Sheila Ryan on June 17th, 2009 at 3:56 pm

    I think it is time at long last that I learn German properly.

    I can get by in Spanish and French, and I can speak and understand tourist Italian, plus I had a year of ancient Greek, so at least I can puzzle out the Greek alphabet and make a few obvious connections.

    I have a Chicago friend who has good friends in Bremen, and they say that he speaks ‘Kinder-Deutsch”.

    ‘Kinder-Deutsch’ would be a generous description of my understanding. I only understand what I have learned in a clumsy fashion from films.

    German is a great language for rock songs. So much better than any Romance language.

    My ignorance of German is really embarrassing.

  6. Sheila Ryan on June 17th, 2009 at 4:04 pm

    I aspire to the condition of mulch.

  7. scream 62,5 on June 17th, 2009 at 5:22 pm

    this guy is a friend of my first guitar teacher, of hamburg,
    he had made a classic of a record for me ,some years ago

    i was proud to present him

    phil, thank for your comment, you understand without words,
    was a friend of mine….

    sheila, please give me more of your soulful pics,

    i know you are maybe not in the best mood,

    but for me your pics are so beautiful …i like to look at them..

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