Life and Existence

Funny—to be a Century

345

Funny—to be a Century—
And see the People—going by—
I—should die of the Oddity—
But then—I'm not so staid—as He—


He keeps His Secrets safely—very—
Were He to tell—extremely sorry
This Bashful Globe of Ours would be—
So dainty of Publicity—

Funny—to be a Century

345

Funny—to be a Century—
And see the People—going by—
I—should die of the Oddity—
But then—I'm not so staid—as He—


He keeps His Secrets safely—very—
Were He to tell—extremely sorry
This Bashful Globe of Ours would be—
So dainty of Publicity—

First Robin

I dreaded that first robin so,
But he is mastered now,
And I'm accustomed to him grown,--
He hurts a little, though.


I thought if I could only live
Till that first shout got by,
Not all pianos in the woods
Had power to mangle me.


I dared not meet the daffodils,
For fear their yellow gown
Would pierce me with a fashion
So foreign to my own.


I wished the grass would hurry,
So when 't was time to see,
He'd be too tall, the tallest one
Could stretch to look at me.


I could not bear the bees should come,
I wished they'd stay away
In those dim countries where they go:
What word had they for me?


They're here, though; not a creature failed,
No blossom stayed away
In gentle deference to me,
The Queen of Calvary.


Each one salutes me as he goes,
And I my childish plumes
Lift, in bereaved acknowledgment
Of their unthinking drums.

Finding is the first Act

870

Finding is the first Act
The second, loss,
Third, Expedition for
The "Golden Fleece"

Fourth, no Discovery-
Fifth, no Crew-
Finally, no Golden FleeceJason-
sham-too.

Fame is the tine that Scholars leave

866

Fame is the tine that Scholars leave
Upon their Setting Names-
The Iris not of Occident
That disappears as comes-

Fame is the tine that Scholars leave

866

Fame is the tine that Scholars leave
Upon their Setting Names-
The Iris not of Occident
That disappears as comes-

Faith


"Faith" is a fine invention
When Gentlemen can see—
But Microscopes are prudent
In an Emergency.

Expectation—is Contentment

807

Expectation—is Contentment—
Gain—Satiety—
But Satiety—Conviction
Of Necessity


Of an Austere trait in Pleasure—
Good, without alarm
Is a too established Fortune—
Danger—deepens Sum—

Exclusion (The soul selects her own society)

The soul selects her own society,

Then shuts the door;

On her divine majority

Obtrude no more.

Unmoved, she notes the chariot's pausing

At her low gate;

Unmoved, an emperor is kneeling

Upon her mat.

I've known her from an ample nation

Choose one

Then close the valves of her attention

Like stone.

Elysium is as far as to

Elysium is as far as to
The very nearest Room
If in that Room a Friend await
Felicity or Doom--

What fortitude the Soul contains
That it can so endure
The accent of a coming Foot--
The opening of a Door--

Empty my Heart, of Thee

587

Empty my Heart, of Thee-
Its single Artery-
Begin, and leave Thee out-
Simply Extinction's Date-

Much Billow hath the Sea-
One Baltic-They-
Subtract Thyself, in play,
And not enough of me
Is left-to put away"
Myself" meanth Thee-

Erase the Root-no TreeThee-
then-no me-
The Heavens strippedEternity's
vast pocket, picked-

Dropped into the Ether Acre

665

Dropped into the Ether Acre-
Wearing the Sod Gown-
Bonnet of Everlasting LacesBrooch-
frozen on-

Horses of Blonde-and Coach of Silver-
Baggage a strapped Pearl-
Journey of Down-and Whip of Diamond-
Riding to meet the Earl-

Dropped into the Ether Acre

665

Dropped into the Ether Acre-
Wearing the Sod Gown-
Bonnet of Everlasting LacesBrooch-
frozen on-

Horses of Blonde-and Coach of Silver-
Baggage a strapped Pearl-
Journey of Down-and Whip of Diamond-
Riding to meet the Earl-

Dying (I heard a fly buzz when I died)

I heard a fly buzz when I died;
The stillness round my form
Was like the stillness in the air
Between the heaves of storm.
The eyes beside had wrung them dry,
And breaths were gathering sure
For that last onset, when the king
Be witnessed in his power.
I willed my keepsakes, signed away

What portion of me I
Could make assignable, -- and then
There interposed a fly,


With blue, uncertain, stumbling buzz,
Between the light and me;
And then the windows failed, and then
I could not see to see.

Don't put up my Thread and Needle

617

Don't put up my Thread and NeedleI'll
begin to Sew
When the Birds begin to whistle-
Better Stitches-so-

These were bent-my sight got crooked-
When my mind-is plain
I'll do seams-a Queen's endeavor
Would not blush to own


Hems-too fine for Lady's tracing
To the sightless KnotTucks-
of dainty interspersion-
Like a dotted Dot-

Leave my Needle in the furrow-
Where I put it down-
I can make the zigzag stitches
Straight-when I am strong-

Till then-dreaming I am sewing
Fetch the seam I missedCloser-
so I-at my sleeping-
Still surmise I stitch-

Did Our Best Moment last

393

Did Our Best Moment last'
Twould supersede the Heaven-
A few-and they by Risk-procure-
So this Sort-are not given-

Except as stimulants-in
Cases of Despair-
Or Stupor-The Reserve-
These Heavenly Moments are-

A Grant of the Divine-
That Certain as it ComesWithdraws-
and leaves the dazzled Soul
In her unfurnished Rooms

Death Leaves Us homesick, Who Behind

Death leaves Us homesick, who behind,
Except that it is gone
Are ignorant of its Concern
As if it were not born.


Through all their former Places, we
Like Individuals go
Who something lost, the seeking for
Is all that's left them, now—

Death is a Dialogue between

976

Death is a Dialogue between
The Spirit and the Dust.
"Dissolve" says Death-The Spirit "Sir
I have another Trust"-

Death doubts it-Argues from the Ground-
The Spirit turns away
Just laying off for evidence
An Overcoat of Clay.

Death is a Dialogue between

976

Death is a Dialogue between
The Spirit and the Dust.
"Dissolve" says Death-The Spirit "Sir
I have another Trust"-

Death doubts it-Argues from the Ground-
The Spirit turns away
Just laying off for evidence
An Overcoat of Clay.

Death is a Dialogue between

976

Death is a Dialogue between
The Spirit and the Dust.
"Dissolve" says Death-The Spirit "Sir
I have another Trust"-

Death doubts it-Argues from the Ground-
The Spirit turns away
Just laying off for evidence
An Overcoat of Clay.

Crumbling is not an instant's Act

997

Crumbling is not an instant's Act
A fundamental pause
Dilapidation's processes
Are organized Decays.

'Tis first a Cobweb on the Soul
A Cuticle of Dust
A Borer in the Axis
An Elemental Rust-

Ruin is formal-Devil's work
Consecutive and slow-
Fail in an instant, no man did
Slipping-is Crash's law.

Crumbling is not an instant's Act

997

Crumbling is not an instant's Act
A fundamental pause
Dilapidation's processes
Are organized Decays.

'Tis first a Cobweb on the Soul
A Cuticle of Dust
A Borer in the Axis
An Elemental Rust-

Ruin is formal-Devil's work
Consecutive and slow-
Fail in an instant, no man did
Slipping-is Crash's law.

Crumbling is not an instant's Act

997

Crumbling is not an instant's Act
A fundamental pause
Dilapidation's processes
Are organized Decays.

'Tis first a Cobweb on the Soul
A Cuticle of Dust
A Borer in the Axis
An Elemental Rust-

Ruin is formal-Devil's work
Consecutive and slow-
Fail in an instant, no man did
Slipping-is Crash's law.

Conscious am I in my Chamber

679

Conscious am I in my Chamber,
Of a shapeless friend-
He doth not attest by Posture-
Nor Confirm-by Word-

Neither Place-need I present Him-
Fitter Courtesy
Hospitable intuition
Of His Company


Presence-is His furthest license-
Neither He to Me
Nor Myself to Him-by Accent-
Forfeit Probity-

Weariness of Him, were quainter
Than Monotony
Knew a Particle-of Space's
Vast Society

Neither if He visit Other-
Do He dwell-or Nay-know I-
But Instinct esteem Him
Immortality-