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Leaves of Grass (1871-72)
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By the Bivouac's Fitful Flame.
By the bivouac's fitful flame, |
A procession winding around me, solemn and sweet and
slow;—but first I note,
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The tents of the sleeping army, the fields' and woods'
dim outline,
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The darkness, lit by spots of kindled fire—the silence; |
Like a phantom far or near an occasional figure moving; |
The shrubs and trees, (as I left my eyes they seem to
be stealthily watching me;)
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While wind in procession thoughts, O tender and
wondrous thoughts,
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Of life and death—of home and the past and loved,
and of those that are far away;
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A solemn and slow procession there as I sit on the
ground,
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By the bivouac's fitful flame. |
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