1. ۱A WOMAN waits for me—she contains all, nothing is lacking,
2. ۲Yet all were lacking, if ... were lacking, or if the moisture of the right man were
3. ۳ lacking.
4. ۴
5. ۵... contains all,
6. ۶Bodies, Souls, meanings, proofs, purities, delicacies, results, promulgations,
7. ۷Songs, commands, health, pride, the maternal mystery, the seminal milk;
8. ۸All hopes, benefactions, bestowals,
9. ۹All the passions, loves, beauties, delights of the earth,
10. ۱۰All the governments, judges, gods, follow’d persons of the earth,
11. ۱۱These are contain’d in ..., as parts of itself, and justifications of itself.
12. ۱۲
13. ۱۳Without shame the man I like knows and avows the deliciousness of his ...,
14. ۱۴Without shame the woman I like knows and avows hers.
15. ۱۵
16. ۱۶Now I will dismiss myself from impassive women,
17. ۱۷I will go stay with her who waits for me, and with those women that are warm-blooded and
18. ۱۸ sufficient for me;
19. ۱۹I see that they understand me, and do not deny me;
20. ۲۰I see that they are worthy of me—I will be the robust husband of those women.
21. ۲۱
22. ۲۲They are not one jot less than I am,
23. ۲۳They are tann’d in the face by shining suns and blowing winds,
24. ۲۴Their flesh has the old divine suppleness and strength,
25. ۲۵They know how to swim, row, ride, wrestle, shoot, run, strike, retreat, advance, resist,
26. ۲۶ defend themselves,
27. ۲۷They are ultimate in their own right—they are calm, clear, well-possess’d of
28. ۲۸ themselves.
29. ۲۹
30. ۳۰I draw you close to me, you women!
31. ۳۱I cannot let you go, I would do you good,
32. ۳۲I am for you, and you are for me, not only for our own sake, but for others’ sakes;
33. ۳۳Envelop’d in you sleep greater heroes and bards,
34. ۳۴They refuse to awake at the touch of any man but me.
35. ۳۵
36. ۳۶It is I, you women—I make my way,
37. ۳۷I am stern, acrid, large, undissuadable—but I love you,
38. ۳۸I do not hurt you any more than is necessary for you,
39. ۳۹I pour the stuff to start sons and daughters fit for These States—I press with slow
40. ۴۰ rude muscle,
41. ۴۱I brace myself effectually—I listen to no entreaties,
42. ۴۲I dare not withdraw till I deposit what has so long accumulated within me.
43. ۴۳
44. ۴۴Through you I drain the pent-up rivers of myself,
45. ۴۵In you I wrap a thousand onward years,
46. ۴۶On you I graft the grafts of the best-beloved of me and America,
47. ۴۷The drops I distil upon you shall grow fierce and athletic girls, new artists, musicians,
48. ۴۸ and singers,
49. ۴۹The babes I beget upon you are to beget babes in their turn,
50. ۵۰I shall demand perfect men and women out of my love-spendings,
51. ۵۱I shall expect them to interpenetrate with others, as I and you interpenetrate now,
52. ۵۲I shall count on the fruits of the gushing showers of them, as I count on the fruits of
53. ۵۳ the gushing showers I give now,
54. ۵۴I shall look for loving crops from the birth, life, death, immortality, I plant so
55. ۵۵ lovingly now.