Emotions and Feelings

My best Acquaintances are those

932

My best Acquaintances are those
With Whom I spoke no Word-
The Stars that stated come to Town
Esteemed Me never rude
Although to their Celestial Call
I failed to make reply-
My constant-reverential Face
Sufficient Courtesy.

Must be a Woe

571

Must be a Woe-
A loss or so-
To bend the eye
Best Beauty's way


But-once aslant
It notes Delight
As difficult
As Stalactite

A Common Bliss
Were had for less-
The price-is
Even as the Grace-

Our lord-thought no
Extravagance
To pay-a Cross-

Morns like these—we parted

27

Morns like these—we parted—
Noons like these—she rose—
Fluttering first—then firmer
To her fair repose.


Never did she lisp it—
It was not for me—
She—was mute from transport—
I—from agony—


Till—the evening nearing
One the curtains drew—
Quick! A Sharper rustling!
And this linnet flew!

Morns like these—we parted

27

Morns like these—we parted—
Noons like these—she rose—
Fluttering first—then firmer
To her fair repose.


Never did she lisp it—
It was not for me—
She—was mute from transport—
I—from agony—


Till—the evening nearing
One the curtains drew—
Quick! A Sharper rustling!
And this linnet flew!

Me, change! Me, alter!

268

Me, change! Me, alter!
Then I will, when on the Everlasting Hill
A Smaller Purple grows-
At sunset, or a lesser glow
Flickers upon Cordillera-
At Day's superior close!

Me prove it now—Whoever doubt

537

Me prove it now—Whoever doubt
Me stop to prove it—now—
Make haste—the Scruple! Death be scant
For Opportunity—


The River reaches to my feet—
As yet—My Heart be dry—
Oh Lover—Life could not convince—
Might Death—enable Thee—


The River reaches to My Breast—
Still—still—My Hands above
Proclaim with their remaining Might—
Dost recognize the Love?


The River reaches to my Mouth—
Remember—when the Sea
Swept by my searching eyes—the last—
Themselves were quick—with Thee!

Me prove it now—Whoever doubt

537

Me prove it now—Whoever doubt
Me stop to prove it—now—
Make haste—the Scruple! Death be scant
For Opportunity—


The River reaches to my feet—
As yet—My Heart be dry—
Oh Lover—Life could not convince—
Might Death—enable Thee—


The River reaches to My Breast—
Still—still—My Hands above
Proclaim with their remaining Might—
Dost recognize the Love?


The River reaches to my Mouth—
Remember—when the Sea
Swept by my searching eyes—the last—
Themselves were quick—with Thee!

Low at my problem bending

69

Low at my problem bending,
Another problem comes-
Larger than mine-Serener-
Involving statelier sums.


I check my busy pencil,
My figures file away.
Wherefore, my baffled fingers
They perplexity?

Love-thou art high

453

Love-thou art high-
I cannot climb thee-
But, were it Two-
Who know but we-
Taking turns-at the ChimborazoDucal-
at last-stand up by thee


Love-thou are deep-
I cannot cross thee-
But, were there Two
Instead of One-
Rower, and Yacht-some sovereign Summer-
Who knows-but we'd reach the Sun?

Love-thou are Veiled-
A few-behold theeSmile-
and alter-and prattle-and dieBliss-
were an Oddity-without thee-
Nicknamed by God-
Eternity-

Like Some Old fashioned Miracle

302

Like Some Old fashioned Miracle
When Summertime is done-
Seems Summer's Recollection
And the Affairs of June

As infinite Tradition
As Cinderella's Bays-
Or Little John-of Lincoln Green-
Or Blue Beard's Galleries-

Her Bees have a fictitious Hum-
Her Blossoms, like a Dream-
Elate us-till we almost weep-
So plausible-they seem-

Her Memories like Strains-Review-
When Orchestra is dumb-
The Violin in Baize replaced-
And Ear-and Heaven-numb-

Like eyes that looked on Wastes

458

Like eyes that looked on Wastes-
Incredulous of Ought
But Blank-and steady Wilderness-
Diversified by Night-

Just Infinites of Nought-
As far as it could see-
So looked the face I looked upon-
So looked itself-on Me-

I offered it no Help-
Because the Cause was Mine-
The Misery a Compact
As hopeless-as divine


Neither-would be absolved-
Neither would be a Queen
Without the Other-Therefore-
We perish-tho' We reign-

Life—is what we make of it

698

Life—is what we make of it—
Death—we do not know—
Christ's acquaintance with Him
Justify Him—though—


He—would trust no stranger—
Other—could betray—
Just His own endorsement—
That—sufficeth Me—


All the other Distance
He hath traversed first—
No New Mile remaineth—
Far as Paradise—


His sure foot preceding—
Tender Pioneer—
Base must be the Coward
Dare not venture—now—

I've seen a Dying Eye

547

I've seen a Dying Eye
Run round and round a Room-
In search of Something-as it seemed-
Then Cloudier become-
And then-obscure with Fog-
And then-be soldered down
Without disclosing what it be
'Twere blessed to have seen-

Joy to have merited the Pain

788

Joy to have merited the Pain-
To merit the Release-
Joy to have perished every step-
To Compass Paradise


Pardon-to look upon thy face-
With these old fashioned Eyes-
Better than new-could be-for that-
Though bought in Paradise-

Because they looked on thee before-
And thou hast looked on them-
Prove Me-My Hazel Witnesses
The features are the same-

So fleet thou wert, when present-
So infinite-when gone-
An Orient's Apparition-
Remanded of the Morn-

The Height I recollect'
Twas even with the Hills-
The Depth upon my Soul was notched-
As Floods-on Whites of Wheels-

To Haunt-till Time have dropped
His last Decade away,
And Haunting actualize-to last
At least-Eternity-

Joy to have merited the Pain

788

Joy to have merited the Pain-
To merit the Release-
Joy to have perished every step-
To Compass Paradise


Pardon-to look upon thy face-
With these old fashioned Eyes-
Better than new-could be-for that-
Though bought in Paradise-

Because they looked on thee before-
And thou hast looked on them-
Prove Me-My Hazel Witnesses
The features are the same-

So fleet thou wert, when present-
So infinite-when gone-
An Orient's Apparition-
Remanded of the Morn-

The Height I recollect'
Twas even with the Hills-
The Depth upon my Soul was notched-
As Floods-on Whites of Wheels-

To Haunt-till Time have dropped
His last Decade away,
And Haunting actualize-to last
At least-Eternity-

I've none to tell me to but Thee

881

I've none to tell me to but Thee
So when Thou failest, nobody.
It was a little tie-
It just held Two, nor those it held
Since Somewhere thy sweet Face has spilled
Beyond my Boundary-

If things were opposite-and Me
And Me it were-that ebbed from Thee
On some unanswering ShoreWould'st
Thou seek so-just say
That I the Answer may pursue
Unto the lips it eddied throughSo-
overtaking Thee-

It's such a little thing to weep

189

It's such a little thing to weep-
So short a thing to sigh-
And yet-by Trades-the size of these
We men and women die!

It's all I have to bring today

26

It's all I have to bring today-
This, and my heart beside-
This, and my heart, and all the fields-
And all the meadows wide-
Be sure you count-should I forget
Some one the sum could tell-
This, and my heart, and all the Bees
Which in the Clover dwell.

It would have starved a Gnat

612

It would have starved a Gnat-
To live so small as I-
And yet I was a living Child-
With Food's necessity

Upon me-like a Claw-
I could no more remove
Than I could coax a Leech away-
Or make a Dragon-move-

Not like the Gnat-had I-
The privilege to fly
And seek a Dinner for myself-
How mightier He-than I-

Nor like Himself-the Art
Upon the Window Pane
To gad my little Being out-
And not begin-again-

It would have starved a Gnat

612

It would have starved a Gnat-
To live so small as I-
And yet I was a living Child-
With Food's necessity

Upon me-like a Claw-
I could no more remove
Than I could coax a Leech away-
Or make a Dragon-move-

Not like the Gnat-had I-
The privilege to fly
And seek a Dinner for myself-
How mightier He-than I-

Nor like Himself-the Art
Upon the Window Pane
To gad my little Being out-
And not begin-again-

It would have starved a Gnat

612

It would have starved a Gnat-
To live so small as I-
And yet I was a living Child-
With Food's necessity

Upon me-like a Claw-
I could no more remove
Than I could coax a Leech away-
Or make a Dragon-move-

Not like the Gnat-had I-
The privilege to fly
And seek a Dinner for myself-
How mightier He-than I-

Nor like Himself-the Art
Upon the Window Pane
To gad my little Being out-
And not begin-again-

It was too late for Man

623

It was too late for Man-
But early, yet, for GodCreation-
impotent to help-
But Prayer-remained-Our Side-

How excellent the Heaven-
When Earth-cannot be had-
How hospitable-then-the face
Of our Old Neighbor-God-

It was given to me by the Gods

454

It was given to me by the Gods-
When I was a little Girl-
They given us Presents most-you know-
When we are new-and small.
I kept it in my Hand-
I never put it down-
I did not dare to eat-or sleep-
For fear it would be gone-
I heard such words as "Rich"-
When hurrying to school-
From lips at Corners of the Streets-
And wrestled with a smile.
Rich! 'Twas Myself-was rich-
To take the name of Gold-
And Gold to own-in solid Bars-
The Difference-made me bold-

It struck me every day

It struck me every day
The lightning was as new
As if the cloud that instant slit
And let the fire through.

It burned me in the night,
It blistered in my dream;
It sickened fresh upon my sight
With every morning's beam.

I thought that storm was brief,-The
maddest, quickest by;
But Nature lost the date of this,
And left it in the sky.