Poem-A-Day: Walt Whitman, Out of the Rolling Ocean, the Crowd

	August 25, 2012 Today's poem appears in The Complete Poems, published by Penguin Classics. More from this author Other Whitman Poems A child said, What is the grass? A Clear Midnight A noiseless patient spider A Woman Waits for Me America You can unsubscribe from our Poem-A-Day emails at at anytime—either completely, or until next April. Academy of American Poets 75 Maiden Lane Suite 901 New York, NY 10038 212-274-0343 academy@poets.org		Out of the Rolling Ocean, the Crowd by Walt Whitman 1 Out of the rolling ocean, the crowd, came a drop gently to me, Whispering, I love you, before long I die, I have travel'd a long way, merely to look on you, to touch you, For I could not die till I once look'd on you, For I fear'd I might afterward lose you. 2 (Now we have met, we have look'd, we are safe; Return in peace to the ocean, my love; I too am part of that ocean, my love—we are not so much separated; Behold the great rondure—the cohesion of all, how perfect! But as for me, for you, the irresistible sea is to separate us, As for an hour carrying us diverse—yet cannot carry us diverse forever; Be not impatient—a little space—know you, I salute the air, the ocean and the land, Every day, at sundown, for your dear sake, my love.) Share Digg StumbleUpon Facebook E-mail to Friend