IN THE NEW GARDEN, IN ALL THE PARTS
In the new garden, in all the parts,In cities now, modern, I wander,
Though the second or third result, or still further, primitive
yet,
Days, places, indifferent — though various, the same,
Time, Paradise, the Mannahatta, the prairies, finding me
unchanged,
Death indifferent — Is it that I lived long since? Was I buried
very long ago?
For all that, I may now be watching you here, this moment;
For the future, with determined will, I seek — the woman of
the future,
You, born years, centuries after
me, I seek.
1860
[STATES!]
States!Were you looking to be held together by the lawyers?
By an agreement on a paper? Or by arms?
Away!
I arrive, bringing these, beyond all the forces of courts and
arms,
These! to hold you together as
firmly as the earth itself is
held together.
The old breath of life, ever new,
Here! I pass it by contact to you, America.
O mother! have you done much for me?
Behold, there shall from me be much done for you.
There shall from me be a new friendship — It shall be called
after my name,
It shall circulate through The
States, indifferent of place,
It shall twist and intertwist them through and around each
other — Compact
shall they be, showing new signs,
Affection shall solve every one of the problems of freedom,
Those who
love each other shall be invincible,
They shall finally make America completely victorious, in
my name.
One from Massachusetts shall be a comrade to a Missourian,
One from Maine or Vermont, and a Carolinian
and an Ore
gonese, shall be friends triune, more precious to each
other than all the riches of the earth.
To Michigan shall be wafted perfume from Florida,
To the Mannahatta from Cuba or Mexico,
Not the perfume
of flowers, but sweeter, and wafted beyond
death.
No danger shall balk Columbia's lovers,
If need be, a thousand shall sternly immolate themselves for
one,
The
Kanuck shall be willing to lay down his life for the
Kansian, and the Kansian for the Kanuck, on due need.
It shall be customary in all directions, in the houses and
streets, to see manly affection,
The departing
brother or friend shall salute the remaining
brother or friend with a kiss.
There shall be innovations,
There shall be countless linked hands — namely, the North-
easterner's, and
the Northwesterner's, and the South-
westerner's, and those of the interior, and all their
brood,
These shall
be masters of the world under a new power,
They shall laugh to scorn the attacks of all the remainder
of
the world.
The most dauntless and rude shall touch face to face lightly,
The dependence of Liberty shall be lovers,
The
continuance of Equality shall be comrades.
These shall tie and band stronger than hoops of iron,
I, extatic, O partners! O lands! henceforth with the
love of
lovers tie you.
1860
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