Walt Whitman (1819–1892). Leaves of Grass. 1900.
181. To Rich Givers
W
A little sustenance, a hut and garden, a little money—these, as I rendezvous with my poems;
A traveler’s lodging and breakfast as I journey through The States—Why should I be ashamed to own such gifts? Why to advertise for them?
For I myself am not one who bestows nothing upon man and woman;
For I bestow upon any man or woman the entrance to all the gifts of the universe.