“Song of the Open Road” (12 of 15) by Walt Whitman [w/ Audio]

Allons! after the great Companions, and to 
belong to them!
They too are on the road -- they are the
swift and majestic men -- they are the
greatest women,
Enjoyers of calms of seas and storms of seas,
Sailors of many a ship, walkers of many a
mile of land,
Habituès of many distant countries,
habituès of far-distant dwellings,
Trusters of men and women, observers of
cities, solitary toilers,
Pausers and contemplators of tufts,
blossoms, shells of the shore,
Dancers at wedding-dances, kissers of
brides, tender helpers of children, bearers
of children,
Soldiers of revolts, standers by gaping
graves, lowerers-down of coffins,
Journeyers over consecutive seasons, over
the years, the curious years each emerging
from that which preceded it,
Journeyers as with companions, namely
their own diverse phases,
Forth-steppers from the latent unrealized
baby-days,
Journeyers gayly with their own youth,
journeyers with their bearded and well-
grain'd manhood,
Journeyers with their womanhood, ample,
unsurpass'd, content,
Journeyers with their own sublime old age
of manhood or womanhood,
Old age, calm, expanded, broad with the
haughty breadth of the universe,
Old age, flowing free with the delicious
near-by freedom of death.

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