In Clouds Descending

A poem film about the human toll of political violence, featuring excerpts from Walt Whitman's poetry about the American Civil War, arranged and read by Adam E. Stone.

Warning: contains graphic historical photographs depicting the aftermath of political violence.

Total run time, including credits: 2 minutes. Available with burned-in English-language captions/subtitles, upon request. Use the "CC" button to view with English-language captions/subtitles in this video player.

Directed, produced, and edited by Adam E. Stone. Written by Walt Whitman. Archival photographs and footage from the Library of Congress. Copyright 2025 by Adam E. Stone. All rights reserved.

Text of film poem:

In clouds descending
in midnight sleep
of many a face of anguish I dream

Of many a face
in midnight sleep
many ... a face
in clouds descending

I dream, I dream, I dream

I dream at night, the moon, so unearthly bright

Shining sweetly
shining down
where we dig the trenches
and gather the heaps

I dream, I dream, I dream

Long, long have they passed
faces and trenches and fields

Of their forms at night I dream
I dream

With a callous composure
I dream ... I dream

In midnight sleep
in clouds descending
of many a face
I dream ... I dream