Of Captains and Cradles

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* This is a negative-space number two pencil sketch I did of my hero, Walt Whitman. (Repost) *

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Oh, My Dear Walter, how your words have slayed Humbled me, broken me, molded, remade To taste of your world, see above or below it Wit of a wordsmith, wry pith of a poet To so construe love without using the phrase Scrawl the sinew of war, yet delight in the days To yawp of the grass - journeywork of the stars Help heal a nation, attend to its scars Find grace among horrors, sift beauty from death The soul-pull of tides - briny kiss of their breath To habit us all ... to the dazzle of light Celebrate ourselves, bequeath us the night Ask recurring questions of romance and life Of presidents, boot soles, and moldering strife Demons and mockingbirds, Paumanok's dunes The pale, horrid witness of unstinted moons 'Twas sad-blown, a bugle, convulsed, was a drum Yet exquisite, the dirge for a soldier and son The sorrow of clouds in a ravening sky The weep of a child should the Pleiades die Knit airy-fresh words, with uncommon phrases Draw Apollo and Neptune in all of their phases Be there adoration as hapless as mine Yet no soul more ardently leveled, supine No writer has reached deeper into my heart Idioms and phrases ... such allurement, impart Ah, yes, what I'd give to have just one chat With the rare human being who afforded all that And maybe I'm biased, if perhaps to a fault But the name of MY Captain, O Captain ... Is WALT.

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Gershon Wolf

Date: 12/24/2018 9:53:00 PM

Terrific wit, man!! It fairly WALT-zes across the screen. Honed so finely, my friend. Holiday Best, Gershon

Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 12/28/2018 9:58:00 PM

Thank you so very much, Gershon - that is so kind of you, my friend! :-)

John Hamilton

Date: 12/20/2018 9:14:00 PM

You learned well from the master, student may at some point become the teacher. I know I adore every word!

Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 12/22/2018 5:43:00 PM

Oh, I would never even imagine that in reality, John, but you are exceedingly kind, my friend - thank you so much, I am proud of this one ... I think Walt must've been whispering me, (or yawping me from yonder tree!). ;-) <3

Nette Onclaud

Date: 12/20/2018 1:35:00 PM

this is a majestic tribute to one of the greatest classic poets of all time... well done,gregory

Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 12/22/2018 5:41:00 PM

Oh, that's very kind of you to say, Nette - I worked hard on this to incorporate many of his phrases, poems, and subject matter ... it's nice that you know his work and can appreciate those elements, it means a lot to me. Many thanks and blessings, my friend! :-) <3