Emily Dickinson
A Bee his burnished Carriage
A Bee his burnished Carriage
Drove boldly to a Rose —
Combinedly alighting —
Himself — his Carriage was —
The Rose received his visit
With frank tranquillity
Withholding not a Crescent
To his Cupidity —
Their Moment consummated —
Remained for him — to flee —
Remained for her — of rapture
But the humility.
-Emily Dickinson
A Bird came down the Walk
A Bird came down the Walk —
He did not know I saw —
He bit an Angleworm in halves
And ate the fellow, raw,
And then he drank a Dew
From a convenient Grass —
And then hopped sidewise to the Wall
To let a Beetle pass —
He glanced with rapid eyes
That hurried all around —
They looked like frightened Beads, I thought —
He stirred his Velvet Head
Like one in danger, Cautious,
I offered him a Crumb
And
A Burdock — clawed my Gown
A Burdock — clawed my Gown —
Not Burdock’s — blame —
But mine —
Who went too near
The Burdock’s Den —
…
A Bog — affronts my shoe —
What else have Bogs — to do —
The only Trade they know —
The splashing Men!
Ah, pity — then!
…
‘Tis Minnows can despise!
The Elephant’s — calm eyes
Look further on!
– Emily Dickinson
A Cap of Lead across the Sky
A Cap of Lead across the sky
Was tight and surly drawn
We could not find the mighty Face
The Figure was withdrawn —
–
A Chill came up as from a shaft
Our noon became a well
A Thunder storm combines the charms
Of Winter and of Hell.
– Emily Dickinson
A Charm invests a face
A Charm invests a face
Imperfectly beheld –
The Lady dare not lift her Veil
For fear it be dispelled –
…
But peers beyond her mesh –
And wishes – and denies –
Lest Interview – annul a want
That Image – satisfies –
– A Charm invests a face by Emily Dickinson
A Chilly Peace Infests The Grass
A chilly Peace infests the Grass
The Sun respectful lies —
Not any Trance of industry
These shadows scrutinize —
Whose Allies go no more astray
For service or for Glee —
But all mankind deliver here
From whatsoever sea —
-Emily Dickinson
A Clock Stopped
A Clock stopped —
Not the Mantel’s —
Geneva’s farthest skill
Can’t put the puppet bowing —
That just now dangled still —
An awe came on the Trinket!
The Figures hunched, with pain —
Then quivered out of Decimals —
Into Degreeless Noon —
It will not stir for Doctors —
This Pendulum of snow —
This Shopman importunes it —
While cool — concernless No —
Nods from the Gilded pointers —
Nods from the Seconds slim —
Decades of Arrogance between
The
A Cloud Withdrew From The Sky
A Cloud withdrew from the Sky
Superior Glory be
But that Cloud and its Auxiliaries
Are forever lost to me
Had I but further scanned
Had I secured the Glow
In an Hermetic Memory
It had availed me now.
Never to pass the Angel
With a glance and a Bow
Till I am firm in Heaven
Is my intention now.
-Emily Dickinson
A Coffin – Is A Small Domain
A Coffin – is a small Domain,
Yet able to contain
A Citizen of Paradise
In it diminished Plane.
A Grave — is a restricted Breadth —
Yet ampler than the Sun —
And all the Seas He populates
And Lands He looks upon
To Him who on its small Repose
Bestows a single Friend —
Circumference without Relief —
Or Estimate — or End —
A Counterfeit – A Plated Person
A Counterfeit – a Plated Person —
I would not be —
Whatever strata of Iniquity
My Nature underlie —
Truth is good Health — and Safety, and the Sky.
How meagre, what an Exile — is a Lie,
And Vocal — when we die —
-Emily Dickinson
A Curious Cloud Surprised The Sky
A curious Cloud surprised the Sky,
‘Twas like a sheet with Horns;
The sheet was Blue —
The Antlers Gray —
It almost touched the lawns.
–
So low it leaned — then statelier drew —
And trailed like robes away,
A Queen adown a satin aisle
Had not the majesty.
-Emily Dickinson
A Darting Fear – A Pomp – A Tear
A darting fear – a pomp – a tear —
A waking on a morn
To find that what one waked for,
Inhales the different dawn.
-Emily Dickinson
A Day! Help! Help! Another Day!
A Day! Help! Help! Another Day!
Your prayers, oh Passer by!
From such a common ball as this
Might date a Victory!
From marshallings as simple
The flags of nations swang.
Steady — my soul: What issues
Upon thine arrow hang!
– Emily Dickinson
A Death Blow Is A Life Blow To Some
A Death blow is a Life blow to Some
Who till they died, did not alive become —
Who had they lived, had died but when
They died, Vitality begun.
-Emily Dickinson
A Deed Knocks First At Thought
A Deed knocks first at Thought
And then — it knocks at Will —
That is the manufacturing spot
And Will at Home and well
It then goes out an Act
Or is entombed so still
That only to the ear of God
Its Doom is audible —
-Emily Dickinson
A Dew Sufficed Itself
A Dew sufficed itself —
And satisfied a Leaf
And felt “how vast a destiny” —
“How trivial is Life!”
The Sun went out to work —
The Day went out to play
And not again that Dew be seen
By Physiognomy
Whether by Day Abducted
Or emptied by the Sun
Into the Sea in passing
Eternally unknown
Attested to this Day
That awful Tragedy
By Transport’s instability
And Doom’s celerity.
– Emily Dickinson
A Diamond On The Hand
A Diamond on the Hand
To Custom Common grown
Subsides from its significance
The Gem were best unknown —
Within a Seller’s Shrine
How many sight and sigh
And cannot, but are mad for fear
That any other buy.
-Emily Dickinson
A Dimple In The Tomb
A Dimple in the Tomb
Makes that ferocious Room
A Home —
-Emily Dickinson
A Door Just Opened On A Street
A Door just opened on a street —
I — lost — was passing by —
An instant’s Width of Warmth disclosed —
And Wealth — and Company.
The Door as instant shut — And I —
I — lost — was passing by —
Lost doubly — but by contrast — most —
Informing — misery —
-Emily Dickinson
A Doubt If It Be Us
A doubt if it be Us
Assists the staggering Mind
In an extremer Anguish
Until it footing find.
An Unreality is lent,
A merciful Mirage
That makes the living possible
While it suspends the lives.
-Emily Dickinson
A Drop Fell On The Apple Tree
A Drop Fell on the Apple Tree —
Another — on the Roof —
A Half a Dozen kissed the Eaves —
And made the Gables laugh —
A few went out to help the Brook
That went to help the Sea —
Myself Conjectured were they Pearls —
What Necklace could be —
The Dust replaced, in Hoisted Roads —
The Birds jocoser sung —
The Sunshine threw his Hat away —
The Bushes — spangles flung —
The Breezes
A Drunkard Cannot Meet A Cork
A Drunkard cannot meet a Cork
Without a Revery —
And so encountering a Fly
This January Day
Jamaicas of Remembrance stir
That send me reeling in —
The moderate drinker of Delight
Does not deserve the spring —
Of juleps, part are the Jug
And more are in the joy —
Your connoisseur in Liquours
Consults the Bumble Bee —
– Emily Dickinson
A Dying Tiger — Moaned For Drink
A Dying Tiger — moaned for Drink —
I hunted all the Sand —
I caught the Dripping of a Rock
And bore it in my Hand —
…
His Mighty Balls — in death were thick —
But searching — I could see
A Vision on the Retina
Of Water — and of me —
…
‘Twas not my blame — who sped too slow —
‘Twas not his blame — who died
While I was reaching him —
But ’twas
A Face Devoid Of Love Or Grace
A face devoid of love or grace,
A hateful, hard, successful face,
A face with which a stone
Would feel as thoroughly at ease
As were they old acquaintances —
First time together thrown.
– Emily Dickinson
A Faded Boy — In Sallow Clothes
A faded Boy — in sallow Clothes
Who drove a lonesome Cow
To pastures of Oblivion —
A statesman’s Embryo —
—
The Boys that whistled are extinct —
The Cows that fed and thanked
Remanded to a Ballad’s Barn
Or Clover’s Retrospect —
– Emily Dickinson