Emily Dickinson

«I took my Power in my Hand - | And went against the World - | 'Twas not so much as David - had - | But I - was twice as bold - | I aimed by Pebble - but Myself | Was all the one that fell - | Was it Goliath - was too large - | Or was myself - too small?»

«Some such Butterfly be seen | On Brazilian Pampas - | Just at noon - no later - Sweet - | Then - the License closes - | Some such Rose - express - and pass - | Subject to Your Plucking - | As the Stars - You knew last Night - | Foreigners - This Morning.»

«I fear a Man of frugal Speech - | I fear a Silent Man - | Haranguer - I can overtake - | Or Babbler - entertain - | But He who weigheth - While the Rest - | Expend their furthest pound - | Of this Man - I am wary - | I fear that He is Grand.»

«The Martyr Poets - did not tell - | But wrought their Pang in syllable - | That when their mortal name be numb - | Their mortal fate - encourage Some - | The Martyr Painters - never spoke - | Bequeathing - rather - to their Work - | That when their conscious fingers cease - | Some seek in Art - the Art of Peace -.»

«Departed - to the Judgment - | A Mighty - Afternoon - | Great Clouds - like Ushers - leaning - | Creation - looking on - | The Flesh - Surrendered - Cancelled - | The Bodiless - begun - | Two Worlds - like Audiences - disperse - | And leave the Soul - alone.»

«Sweet - You forgot - but I remembered | Every time - for Two - | So that the Sum be never hindered | Through Decay of You - | Say if I erred? Accuse my Farthings - | Blame the little Hand | Happy it be for You - a Beggar's - | Seeking More - to spend - | | Just to be Rich - to waste my Guineas | On so Best a Heart - | Just to be Poor - for Barefoot Vision | You - Sweet - Shut me out.»

«To hear an Oriole sing | May be a common thing - | Or only a divine. | It is not of the Bird | Who sings the same, unheard, | As unto Crowd - | | The Fashion of the Ear | Attireth that it hear | In Dun, or fair - | | So whether it be Rune, | Or whether it be din - | Is of within. | | The "Tune is in the Tree -" | The Skeptic - showeth me - | "No Sir! In Thee!"»

«To put this World down, like a Bundle - | And walk steady, away, | Requires Energy - possibly Agony - | 'Tis the Scarlet way | Trodden with straight renunciation | By the Son of God - | Later, his faint Confederates | Justify the Road - | | Flavors of that old Crucifixion - | Filaments of Bloom, Pontius Pilate sowed - | Strong Clusters, from Barabbas'Tomb - | | Sacrament, Saints partook before us - | Patent, every drop, | With the Brand of the Gentile Drinker | Who enforced the Cup.»

«Mine - by the Right of the White Election! | Mine - by the Royal Seal! | Mine - by the Sign in the Scarlet prison - | Bars - cannot conceal! | Mine - here - in Vision - and in Veto! | Mine - by the Grave's Repeal - | Titled - Confirmed - | Delirious Charter! | Mine - while Ages steal!»

«You cannot put a Fire out - | A Thing that can ignite | Can go, itself, without a Fan - | Upon the slowest night - | You cannot fold a Flood - | And put it in a Drawer - | Because the Winds would find it out - | And tell your Cedar Floor.»

«Two butterflies went out at Noon - | And waltzed upon a Farm - | Then stepped straight through the Firmament | And rested, on a Beam - | And then - together bore away | Upon a shining Sea - | Though never yet, in any Port - | Their coming, mentioned - be - | | If spoken by the distant Bird - | If met in Ether Sea | By Frigate, or by Merchantman - | No notice - was - to me.»

«We see - Comparatively - | The Thing so towering high | We could not grasp it's segment | Unaided - Yesterday - | This Morning's finer Verdict - | Makes scarcely worth the toil - | A furrow - Our Cordillera - | Our Apennine - a knoll - | | Perhaps 'tis kindly - done us - | The Anguish - and the loss - | The wrenching - for His Firmament | The Thing belonged to us - | | To spare these Striding Spirits | Some Morning of Chagrin - | The waking in a Gnat's - embrace - | Our Giants - further on.»

«'Tis One by One - the Father counts - | And then a Tract between | Set Cypherless - to teach the Eye | The Value of it's Ten - | Until the peevish Student | Acquire the Quick of Skill - | Then Numerals are dowered back - | Adorning all the Rule - | | 'Tis mostly Slate and Pencil - | And Darkness on the School | Distracts the Children's fingers - | Still the Eternal Rule | | Regards least Cypherer alike | With Leader of the Band - | And every separate Urchin's Sum - | Is fashioned for his hand.»

«To fill a Gap | Insert the Thing that caused it - | Block it up | With Other - and 'twill yawn the more - | You cannot solder an Abyss | With Air.»

«That I did always love | I bring thee Proof | That till I loved | I never lived - Enough - | That I shall love alway - | I argue thee | That love is life - | And life hath Immortality - | | This - dost thou doubt - Sweet - | Then have I | Nothing to show | But Calvary.»

«Death is potential to that Man | Who dies - and to his friend - | Beyond that - unconspicuous | To Anyone but God - | Of these Two - God remembers | The longest - for the friend - | Is integral - and therefore | Itself dissolved - of God.»

«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.»

«Alone, I cannot be - | For Hosts - do visit me - | Recordless Company - | Who baffle Key - | They have no Robes, nor Names - | No Almanacs - nor Climes - | But general Homes | Like Gnomes - | | Their Coming, may be known | By Couriers within - | Their going - is not - | For they're never gone.»

«As far from pity, as complaint - | As cool to speech - as stone - | As numb to Revelation | As if my Trade were Bone - | As far from Time - as History - | As near yourself - Today - | As Children, to the Rainbow's scarf - | Or Sunset's Yellow play | | To eyelids in the Sepulchre - | How dumb the Dancer lies - | While Color's Revelations break - | And blaze - the Butterflies!»

«He strained my faith - | Did he find it supple? | Shook my strong trust - | Did it then - yield? | Hurled my belief - | But - did he shatter - it? | Racked - with suspense - | Not a nerve failed! | | Wrung me - with Anguish - | But I never doubted him - | [Or - Must be - I deserved - it -] | Thò for what wrong | He did never say - | | Stabbed - while I sued | His sweet forgiveness - | Jesus - it's your little "John"! | Don't you know - me? | [Why - Slay - Me?]»