How many readers did Walt Whitman have
At any stage in his career
From none to hundreds to thousands
But never enough to satisfy the nudge within
For fame for bursting places for the energy within
For vision struggling for a foothold
on the consciousness ladder of a crucified nation
He hit the road
He walked the walk
He plumbed his own self
Like a sweet water well
And spewed like crystal fountains
All his dreams
At first a tiny handful read him
How long does it take for a person to be part of another's mind
Why would one wish to be
Better to be observer
Not inclined to control or own or be the center of anything
Finally words written impact only for their power to represent
What's real and
What is real is what we already know
Each one of us
And for this reason
Words themselves expire as they are written
I think Walt knew all this and finally was able
to be content with a few friends in Camden
Thinking yes
I have been read
But if none had ever turned a single leaf
The answer to it all would simply be
That I was right most terribly
And wrong most terribly
And that it made no difference
Finally
And that's because my
Yes was true
And finally that means not me
But you
