THERE WAS A CHILD WENT FORTH
THERE WAS A CHILD WENT FORTH EVERY DAY,
AND THE FIRST OBJECT HE LOOKED UPON, THAT
OBJECT HE BECAME,
AN THAT OBJECT BECAME PART OF HIM FOR THE
DAY OR A CERTAIN PART OF THE DAY,
OR FOR MANY YEARS
OR STRETCHING CYCLES OF YEARS.
THE FRIENDLY BOYS THAT PASS’D, AND THE
QUARRELSOME BOYS,
BECAME PART OF THIS CHILD, AND THE
TIDY AND FRESH-CHEEKED GIRLS,
AND ALL THE CHANGES OF CITY AND COUNTRY
WHEREVER HE WENT.
HIS OWN PARENTS, HE THAT FATHERID HIM
AND SHE THAT HAD CONCEIVED HIM IN HER
WOMB AND BIRTHED HIM,
THEY GAVE THIS CHILD MORE OF THEMSELVES
THAN THAT,
THEY GAVE HIM AFTERWARD EVERY DAY, THEY
BECAME PART OF HIM.

– WALT WHITMAN (ADAPTED)