"Walt Whitman."
Hand painted archival print on canvas.
20w x 30h in. Â Ariel Shallit. 2017.
From "Song of the Open Road" by Walt Whitman: AFOOT and light-hearted, I take to the open road,Healthy, free, the world before me,The long brown path before me, leading wherever I choose. Henceforth I ask not good-fortune—I myself am good-fortune;Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more,need nothing,Strong and content, I travel the open road. The earth—that is sufficient;I do not want the constellations any nearer;I know they are very well where they are;I know they suffice for those who belong to them. You air that serves me with breath to speak!You objects that call from diffusion my meanings and give them shape!You light that wraps me and all things in delicate equable showers!You animals moving serenely over the earth!You birds that wing yourselves through the air! you insects!You sprouting growths from the farmers' fields! you stalks and weeds by the fences!You paths worn in the irregular hollows by the road-sides!I think you are latent with unseen existences—you are so dear to me. Allons! Be not detain'd!Let the paper remain on the desk unwritten, and the book on the shelf unopen'd!Let the tools remain in the workshop! let the money remain unearn'd!Let the school stand! mind not the cry of the teacher!Let the preacher preach in the pulpit! let the lawyer plead in the court, and the judge expound the law. Mon enfant! I give you my hand!I give you my love, more precious than money,I give you myself, before preaching or law;Will you give me yourself? Will you come travel with me?Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?
