25. Native Moments



NATIVE moments! when you come upon me—Ah you are here now!       
Give me now libidinous joys only!       
Give me the drench of my passions! Give me life coarse and rank!       
To-day, I go consort with nature’s darlings—to-night too;       
I am for those who believe in loose delights—I share the midnight orgies of young men;            5   
I dance with the dancers, and drink with the drinkers;       
The echoes ring with our indecent calls;       
I take for my love some prostitute—I pick out some low person for my dearest friend,       
He shall be lawless, rude, illiterate—he shall be one condemn’d by others for deeds done;       
I will play a part no longer—Why should I exile myself from my companions?     10   
O you shunn’d persons! I at least do not shun you,       
I come forthwith in your midst—I will be your poet,       
I will be more to you than to any of the rest.

26. Once I Pass’d Through a Populous City



ONCE I pass’d through a populous city, imprinting my brain, for future use, with its shows, architecture, customs, and traditions;       
Yet now, of all that city, I remember only a woman I casually met there, who detain’d me for love of me;       
Day by day and night by night we were together,—All else has long been forgotten by me;       
I remember, I say, only that woman who passionately clung to me;       
Again we wander—we love—we separate again;            5   
Again she holds me by the hand—I must not go!       
I see her close beside me, with silent lips, sad and tremulous.

27. Facing West from California’s Shores



FACING west, from California’s shores,       
Inquiring, tireless, seeking what is yet unfound,       
I, a child, very old, over waves, towards the house of maternity, the land of migrations, look afar,       
Look off the shores of my Western Sea—the circle almost circled;       
For, starting westward from Hindustan, from the vales of Kashmere,            5   
From Asia—from the north—from the God, the sage, and the hero,       
From the south—from the flowery peninsulas, and the spice islands;       
Long having wander’d since—round the earth having wander’d,       
Now I face home again—very pleas’d and joyous;       
(But where is what I started for, so long ago?     10   
And why is it yet unfound?)

28. Ages and Ages, Returning at Intervals



AGES and ages, returning at intervals,       
Undestroy’d, wandering immortal,       
Lusty, phallic, with the potent original loins, perfectly sweet,       
I, chanter of Adamic songs,       
Through the new garden, the West, the great cities calling,            5   
Deliriate, thus prelude what is generated, offering these, offering myself,       
Bathing myself, bathing my songs in Sex,       
Offspring of my loins.

29. O Hymen! O Hymenee!



O HYMEN! O hymenee!       
Why do you tantalize me thus?       
O why sting me for a swift moment only?       
Why can you not continue? O why do you now cease?       
Is it because, if you continued beyond the swift moment, you would soon certainly kill me?            5

30. As Adam, Early in the Morning



AS Adam, early in the morning,       
Walking forth from the bower, refresh’d with sleep;       
Behold me where I pass—hear my voice—approach,       
Touch me—touch the palm of your hand to my Body as I pass;       
Be not afraid of my Body.

31. I Heard You, Solemn-sweet Pipes of the Organ



I HEARD you, solemn-sweet pipes of the organ, as last Sunday morn I pass’d the church;       
Winds of autumn!—as I walk’d the woods at dusk, I heard your long-stretch’d sighs, up above, so mournful;       
I heard the perfect Italian tenor, singing at the opera—I heard the soprano in the midst of the quartet singing;       
... Heart of my love!—you too I heard, murmuring low, through one of the wrists around my head;       
Heard the pulse of you, when all was still, ringing little bells last night under my ear.            5

32. I am He that Aches with Love



I AM he that aches with amorous love;       
Does the earth gravitate? Does not all matter, aching, attract all matter?       
So the Body of me, to all I meet, or know.

33. To Him that was Crucified



MY spirit to yours, dear brother;       
Do not mind because many, sounding your name, do not understand you;       
I do not sound your name, but I understand you, (there are others also;)       
I specify you with joy, O my comrade, to salute you, and to salute those who are with you, before and since—and those to come also,       
That we all labor together, transmitting the same charge and succession;            5   
We few, equals, indifferent of lands, indifferent of times;       
We, enclosers of all continents, all castes—allowers of all theologies,       
Compassionaters, perceivers, rapport of men,       
We walk silent among disputes and assertions, but reject not the disputers, nor any thing that is asserted;       
We hear the bawling and din—we are reach’d at by divisions, jealousies, recriminations on every side,     10   
They close peremptorily upon us, to surround us, my comrade,       
Yet we walk unheld, free, the whole earth over, journeying up and down, till we make our ineffaceable mark upon time and the diverse eras,       
Till we saturate time and eras, that the men and women of races, ages to come, may prove brethren and lovers, as we are.

34. Perfections



ONLY themselves understand themselves, and the like of themselves,       
As Souls only understand Souls.