The Walt Whitman Archive
Published Works
Books by Whitman
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [begin page 117] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
FACING WEST FROM CALIFORNIA'S SHORES.
FACING west, from California's shores,
Inquiring, tireless, seeking what is yet unfound,
I, a child, very old, over waves, towards the house of
maternity, the land of migrations, look afar,
maternity, the land of migrations, look afar,
Look off the shores of my Western Sea—the circle
almost circled;
almost circled;
For, starting westward from Hindustan, from the vales
of Kashmere,
of Kashmere,
From. Asia—from the north—from the God, the sage,
and the hero,
and the hero,
From the south—from the flowery peninsulas, and the
spice islands;
spice islands;
Long having wander'd since—round the earth having
wander'd,
wander'd,
Now I face home again—very pleas'd and joyous;
(But where is what I started for, so long ago?
And why is it yet unfound?)