Walt Whitman's Songs of Male Intimacy and Love: "Live Oak, with Moss" and "Calamus"

Live Oak, with Moss

Live Oak, with Moss    ( 2 ) ( 3 ) Calamus-Leaves Live Oak, with Moss I. Not the heat flames up and con-     sumes, Not the sea-waves hurry in and     out, Not the air, delicious and dry, the     air of the ripe summer, bears     lightly along white down-balls     of myriads of seeds, wafted,     sailing gracefully, to drop     where they may, Not these—O none of these, more     than the flames of me, con-     suming, burning for his love     whom I love—O none, more     than I, hurrying in and out; Does the tide hurry, seeking some-     thing, and never give up?—O     I, the same, to seek my life-long     lover; O nor down-balls, nor perfumes, nor     the high rain-emitting clouds,     are borne through the open air,     more than my copious soul is     borne through the open air, wafted     in all directions, for friendship, for     love.— ( 4 ) ( 5 ) II I saw in Louisiana a     live-oak growing, All alone stood it, and the     moss hung down from the     branches, Without any companion it grew     there, glistening out     joyous leaves of dark green, And its look, rude, unbending,     lusty, made me think of     myself; But I wondered how it could     utter joyous leaves, standing     alone there without its friend,     its lover – For I knew I could     not; And I plucked a twig with     a certain number of leaves     upon it, and twined around     it a little moss, and brought     it away—And I have placed     it in sight in my room, ( 6 ) ( 7 ) It is not needed to remind     me as of my friends, (for I     believe lately I think of little     else than of them,) Yet it remains to me a     curious token—it makes     me think of manly love; For all that, and though the     live oak glistens there in Louis-     iana, solitary in a wide     flat space, uttering joyous     leaves all its life, without     a friend, a lover, near—I     know very well I could     not. ( 8 ) ( 9 ) III When I heard at the close of     the day how I had been     praised in the Capitol, still     it was not a happy night     for me that followed; Nor when I caroused—     —Nor when my favorite plans were accom-     plished—was I really happy. But that day I rose     at dawn from the bed of     perfect health, electric, in-     haling sweet breath, When I saw the full moon     in the west grow pale and     disappear in the morning light, When I wandered alone over the     beach, and undressing, bathed,     laughing with the waters, and     saw the sun rise, ( 10 ) ( 11 ) And when I thought how     my friend, my lover, was     coming, then O I was happy; Each breath tasted     sweeter—and all that day my     food nourished me more—And     the beautiful day passed well, And the next came with equal     joy—And with the next at     evening, came my friend, And that night, while all     was still, I heard the     waters roll slowly continually     up the shores I heard the hissing rustle of     the liquid and sands, as directed     to me, whispering, to congratulate     me,—For the friend I love lay     sleeping by my side, In the stillness his face was in-     clined towards me, while the     moon’s clear beams shone, And his arm lay lightly over my     breast—And that night I was happy. [On this leaf, beneath the paste-over, is an earlier version of the conclusion:] And that night O you happy waters, I heard you beating the shores— But my heart beat happier than you—for he I love is returned and sleeping by my side, And that night in the stillness his face was inclined toward me while the moon’s clear beams shone, And his arm lay lightly over my breast—And that night I was happy. ( 12 ) ( 13 ) IV This moment as I sit alone,     yearning and pensive, it     seems to me there are other     men, in other lands, yearning     and pensive. It seems to me I can look     over and behold them, in     Germany, France, Spain—Or     far away in China, India or     Russia—talking other dialects, And it seems to me if I     could know those men     I should love them as I     love men in my own lands, It seems to me they are as     wise, beautiful, benevolent,     as any in my...