As I Sit Writing Here
by Walt Whitman — a poem card from Justes Mots
A brief, candid meditation on aging and physical decline as Whitman worries his songs may be tainted by illness and weariness. This poignant late-life reflection captures vulnerability unusual in his typically triumphant voice. Resonates with those facing illness or the diminishments of time.
As I sit writing here, sick and grown old,
Not my least burden is that dulness of the years, querilities,
Ungracious glooms, aches, lethargy, constipation, whimpering ennui,
May filter in my dally songs.…
Themes: sympathy · grief · reflection