Page:Leaves of Grass (1860).djvu/168

160 Always these compact lands—lands tied at the hips
 * with the belt stringing the huge oval lakes;

Always the West, with strong native persons—the
 * increasing density there—the habitans, friendly,
 * threatening, ironical, scorning invaders;

All sights, South, North, East—all deeds, promiscuously
 * done at all times,

All characters, movements, growths—a few noticed,
 * myriads unnoticed,

Through Mannahatta's streets I walking, these things
 * gathering;

On interior rivers, by night, in the glare of pine
 * knots, steamboats wooding up;

Sunlight by day on the valley of the Susquehanna,
 * and on the valleys of the Potomac and Rappahannock,
 * and the valleys of the Roanoke and
 * Delaware;

In their northerly wilds beasts of prey haunting the
 * Adirondacks, the hills—or lapping the Saginaw
 * waters to drink;

In a lonesome inlet, a sheldrake, lost from the flock,
 * sitting on the water, rocking silently;

In farmers' barns, oxen in the stable, their harvest
 * labor done—they rest standing—they are too
 * tired;

Afar on arctic ice, the she-walrus lying drowsily,
 * while her cubs play around;

The hawk sailing where men have not yet sailed—
 * the farthest polar sea, ripply, crystalline, open,
 * beyond the floes;

White drift spooning ahead, where the ship in the
 * tempest dashes;

On solid land, what is done in cities, as the bells all
 * strike midnight together;