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Ode to the Good Gray Poet Lyrics by Dalmo Mendonça

2012

To write an ode to Whitman is to write in vain.
An ode to camerados, to brothers the same,
Is more of an introduction,
More a tribute to his author function,
Than a set of distorted references,
Fictional, misguided presents,
Given to our collective father --
Whose ego could not be larger --
In deep and sincerest awe
But hopelessly lost in all
The prejudices of the human mind.
The brother of human kind,
Whose soul now may rest in peace,
Whose body remains a piece
Of skin that covers my arms,
Whose voice still resounds alarms
In my head when I am asleep
(At night I count Whitmans and sheep),
Has sung of himself enough,
Drunk dry the entire trough;
Of all his thirsty élèves,
None will ever have
Even a drop of his hurricane.
But isn't that why he came?
Isn't that why he was sent?
To teach me to like my scent,
To show that this nation is me,
That America just longs to be
A tiny fraction of who I am
(Enchanté, I'm Uncle Sam),
Is why the Gray Poet taught
The message his Leaves have brought,
But I can't get myself to believe
The attention I demand to receive
Can be greater than what is his.
My song is a dying fizz:
Though I know I am part of God
And should celebrate what I've got,
My value is hard to see,
Even if Whitman is part of me.
Credits
Dalmo Mendonça

Dalmo Mendonça

About “Ode to the Good Gray Poet” by Dalmo Mendonça

Read the complete lyrics to "Ode to the Good Gray Poet" by Dalmo Mendonça in 2012. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"Ode to the Good Gray Poet" is performed by Dalmo Mendonça. in 2012 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Ode to the Good Gray Poet", explore more songs by Dalmo Mendonça using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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