THIS WALT

This Walt
wrote for newspapers
and was often unemployed
he did not care
what other people thought
and was not easily annoyed
visited the injured troops
who fought
during the Civil War
comforted the soldier boys
to share his poetry
a democratic man of the city
though without friends
except his humanity
stuck together
a partisan
with a great memory
of the Village to make amends
back in Manhattan
living with simplicity
and lack of luxury
out in the country often
by the riverbanks
rather than at the steeple
we give a pattern of thanks
as we shake hands
to Walt Whitman
a man of the people.