<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><font face="Helvetica">This Compost</font><div><font face="Helvetica"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">1</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Something startles me where I thought I was safest,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">I withdraw from the still woods I loved,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">I will not go now on the pastures to walk,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">I will not strip the clothes from my body to meet my lover the sea,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">I will not touch my flesh to the earth as to other flesh to renew me.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">O how can it be that the ground itself does not sicken?</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">How can you be alive you growths of spring?</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">How can you furnish health you blood of herbs, roots, orchards, grain?</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Are they not continually putting distemper'd corpses within you?</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Is not every continent work'd over and over with sour dead?</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Where have you disposed of their carcasses?</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Those drunkards and gluttons of so many generations?</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Where have you drawn off all the foul liquid and meat?</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">I do not see any of it upon you to-day, or perhaps I am deceiv'd,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">I will run a furrow with my plough, I will press my spade through the sod and turn it up underneath,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">I am sure I shall expose some of the foul meat.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">2</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Behold this compost! behold it well!</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Perhaps every mite has once form'd part of a sick person—yet behold!</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">The grass of spring covers the prairies,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">The bean bursts noiselessly through the mould in the garden,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">The delicate spear of the onion pierces upward,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">The apple-buds cluster together on the apple-branches,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">The resurrection of the wheat appears with pale visage out of its graves,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">The tinge awakes over the willow-tree and the mulberry-tree,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">The he-birds carol mornings and evenings while the she-birds sit on their nests,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">The young of poultry break through the hatch'd eggs,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">The new-born of animals appear, the calf is dropt from the cow, the colt from the mare,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Out of its little hill faithfully rise the potato's dark green leaves,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Out of its hill rises the yellow maize-stalk, the lilacs bloom in the dooryards,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">The summer growth is innocent and disdainful above all those strata of sour dead.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">What chemistry!</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">That the winds are really not infectious,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">That this is no cheat, this transparent green-wash of the sea which is so amorous after me,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">That it is safe to allow it to lick my naked body all over with its tongues,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">That it will not endanger me with the fevers that have deposited themselves in it,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">That all is clean forever and forever,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">That the cool drink from the well tastes so good,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">That blackberries are so flavorous and juicy,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">That the fruits of the apple-orchard and the orange-orchard, that melons, grapes, peaches, plums, will</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"> none of them poison me,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">That when I recline on the grass I do not catch any disease,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Though probably every spear of grass rises out of what was once a catching disease.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Now I am terrified at the Earth, it is that calm and patient,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">It grows such sweet things out of such corruptions,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">It turns harmless and stainless on its axis, with such endless successions of diseas'd corpses,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">It distills such exquisite winds out of such infused fetor,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">It renews with such unwitting looks its prodigal, annual, sumptuous crops,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;">It gives such divine materials to men, and accepts such leavings from them at last.</span></font></div><div><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><font face="Helvetica"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><font face="Helvetica"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Walt Whitman</font></span></div></div></body></html>