Emily Dickinson

«He forgot - and I - remembered - | 'Twas an everyday affair - | Long ago as Christ and Peter - | "Warmed them" at the "Temple fire". | "Thou wert with him" - quoth "the Damsel"? | "No" - said Peter, 'twas'nt me - | Jesus merely "looked" at Peter - | Could I do aught else - to Thee?»

«Two swimmers wrestled on the spar - | Until the morning sun - | When One - turned smiling to the land - | Oh God! The Other One! | The stray ships - passing - | Spied a face - | Upon the waters borne - | With eyes in death - still begging raised - | And hands - beseeching - thrown!»

«Unit, like Death, for Whom? | True, like the Tomb, | Who tells no secret | Told to Him - | The Grave is strict - | Tickets admit | Just two - the Bearer - | And the Borne - | And seat - just One - | The Living - tell - | The Dying - but a Syllable - | The Coy Dead - None - | No Chatter - here - no tea - | So Babbler, and Bohea - stay there - | But Gravity - and Expectation - and Fear - | A tremor just, that All's not sure.»

«If What we Could - were what we would - | Criterion - be small - | It is the Ultimate of Talk - | The Impotence to Tell.»

«The Flower must not blame the Bee - | That seeketh his felicity | Too often at her door - | But teach the Footman from Vevay - | Mistress is "not at home" - to say - | To people - any more!»

«Some - Work for Immortality - | The Chiefer part, for Time - | He - Compensates - immediately - | The former - Checks - on Fame - | Slow Gold - but Everlasting - | The Bullion of Today - | Contrasted with the Currency | Of Immortality - | | A Beggar - Here and There - | Is gifted to discern | Beyond the Broker's insight - | One's - Money - One's - the Mine.»

«Tho' I get home how late - how late - | So I get home - 'twill compensate - | Better will be the Extasy | That they have done expecting me - | When Night - descending - dumb - and dark - | They hear my unexpected knock - | Transporting must the moment be - | Brewed from decades of Agony! | To think just how the fire will burn - | Just how long-cheated eyes will turn - | To wonder what myself will say, | And what itself, will say to me - | Beguiles the Centuries of way!»

«With thee, in the Desert - | With thee in the thirst - | With thee in the Tamarind wood - | Leopard breathes - at last!»

«Come slowly - Eden! | Lips unused to Thee - | Bashful - sip thy Jessamines - | As the fainting Bee - | Reaching late his flower, | Round her chamber hums - | Counts his nectars - | Enters - and is lost in Balms.»

«Savior! I've no one else to tell - | And so I trouble thee. | I am the one forgot thee so - | Dost thou remember me? | Nor, for myself, I came so far - | That were the little load - | I brought thee the imperial Heart | I had not strength to hold - | The Heart I carried in my own - | Till mine too heavy grew - | Yet - strangest - heavier since it went - | Is it too large for you?»

«Safe in their Alabaster Chambers - | Untouched by Morning | And untouched by Noon - | Sleep the meek members of the Resurrection - | Rafter of satin, | And Roof of stone. | | Light laughs the breeze | In her Castle above them - | Babbles the Bee in a stolid Ear, | Pipe the Sweet Birds in ignorant cadence - | Ah, what sagacity perished here!»

«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!»

«Blazing in Gold - and | Quenching - in Purple! | Leaping - like Leopards - to the sky - | Then - at the feet of the old Horizon - | Laying it's spotted face - to die! | Stooping as low as the kitchen window - | Touching the Roof - | And tinting the Barn - | Kissing it's Bonnet to the Meadow - | And the Juggler of Day - is gone!»

«Teach Him - When He makes the names - | Such an one - to say - | On his babbling - Berry - lips - | As should sound - to me - | Were my Ear - as near his nest - | As my thought - today - | As should sound - | "Forbid us not" - | Some like "Emily".»

«Should you but fail at - Sea - | In sight of me - | Or doomed lie - | Next Sun - to die - | Or rap - at Paradise - unheard | I'd harass God | Until he let you in!»

«Jesus! Thy Crucifix | Enable thee to guess | The smaller size! | Jesus! Thy second face | Mind thee in Paradise | Of our's!»

«Dovessi tu non farcela in - Mare - | Sotto i miei occhi - | O condannato fossi - | Al Nuovo Sole - a morire - | O bussassi - in Paradiso - inascoltato | Io tormenterei Dio | Finché non ti lasciasse entrare!»

«Gesù! La tua Croce | Ti concede di prevedere | Le più piccole cose! | Gesù! Il tuo secondo volto | Ti rammenti in Paradiso | Del nostro.»

«I Came to buy a smile - today - | But just a single smile - | The smallest one upon your face | Will suit me just as well - | The one that no one else would miss | It shone so very small - | I'm pleading at the "counter" - sir - | Could you afford to sell - | I've Diamonds - on my fingers - | You know what Diamonds are? | I've Rubies - like the Evening Blood - | And Topaz - like the star! | 'Twould be "a Bargain" for a Jew! | Say - may I have it - Sir.»

«When Katie walks, this simple pair accompany her side, | When Katie runs unwearied they follow on the road, | When Katie kneels, their loving hands still clasp her pious knee - | Ah! Katie! Smile at Fortune, with two so knit to thee!»