I Swim in it as in a Sea

“I have perceiv’d that to be with those I like is enough,
To stop in company with the rest at evening is enough,
To be surrounded by beautiful, curious, breathing, laughing flesh is enough,
To pass among them or touch any one, or rest my arm ever so lightly round his or her neck for a moment, what is this then?
I do not ask any more delight, I swim in it as in a sea.”

— Walt Whitman, 1855
From “I Sing the Body Electric”

 

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Today’s Invitation

If you find an appropriate situation, establish a connection with someone through touch today (a pat on the shoulder, a hug, a high-five).

If the situation doesn’t arise, take a few minutes to “swim” in community another way: taking part in an online discussion, looking at photos of yourself at a gathering, or reading the messages in your old yearbooks.

Query of the Week

Who belongs in Quaker community?

How does the intentional lack of a creed make belonging easier? Harder?

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Author

  • Walter Whitman Jr. (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, and journalist. He is considered one of the most influential poets in American literature. Whitman incorporated both transcendentalism and realism in his writings and is often called the father of free verse. His grandmother was Quaker.

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