Emily Dickinson

«Trust in the Unexpected - | By this - was William Kidd | Persuaded of the Buried Gold - | As One had testified - | Through this - the old Philosopher - | His Talismanic Stone | Discerned - still withholden | To effort undivine - | | 'Twas this - allured Columbus - | When Genoa - withdrew | Before an Apparition | Baptized America - | | The Same - afflicted Thomas - | When Deity pronounced | 'Twas blesseder - the seeing not - | Provided it believed.»

«The Brain, within it's Groove | Runs evenly - and true - | But let a Splinter swerve - | 'Twere easier for You - | To put the Waters back - | When Floods have slit the Hills - | And scooped a Turnpike for Themselves - | And shoved away - the Mills.»

«She hideth Her the last - | And is the first, to rise - | Her Night doth hardly recompense | The Closing of Her eyes - | She doth Her Purple Work - | And putteth Her away | In low apartments in the Sod - | As Worthily as We. | | To imitate her life | As possible would be | As Brew from Our imperfect Mints, | The Julep - of the Bee.»

«It knew no Medicine - | It was not Sickness - then - | Nor any need of Surgery - | And therefore - 'twas not Pain - | It moved away the Cheeks - | A Dimple at a time - | And left the Profile - plainer - | And in the place of Bloom | | It left the little Tint | That never had a Name - | You've seen it on a Cast's face - | Was Paradise - to blame - | | If momently ajar - | Temerity - drew near - | And sickened - ever afterward | For Somewhat that it saw?»

«It knew no lapse, nor Diminuation - | But large - serene - | Burned on - until through Dissolution - | It failed from Men - | I could not deem these Planetary forces | Annulled - | But suffered an Exchange of Territory - | Or World.»

«One Anguish - in a Crowd - | A minor thing - it sounds - | And yet, unto the single Doe | Attempted - of the Hounds | 'Tis Terror as consummate | As Legions of Alarm | Did leap, full flanked, upon the Host - | 'Tis Units - make the Swarm - | | A small Leech - on the Vitals - | The sliver, in the Lung - | A leakage in an Artery - | Are scarce accounted - Harms - | | But mighty - by relation | To that Repealless thing - | A Being - impotent to stop - | When once it has begun.»

«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 - the fact that He was dead.»

«He gave away his Life - | To Us - Gigantic Sum - | A trifle - in his own esteem - | But magnified - by Fame - | Until it burst the Hearts | That fancied they could hold - | When swift it slipped it's limit - | And on the Heavens - unrolled - | | 'Tis Ours - to wince - and weep - | And wonder - and decay | By Blossoms gradual process - | He chose - Maturity - | | And quickening - as we sowed - | Just obviated Bud - | And when We turned to note the Growth - | Broke - perfect - from the Pod.»

«We learned the Whole of Love - | The Alphabet - the Words - | A Chapter - then the mighty Book - | Then - Revelation closed - | But in Each Other's eyes | An Ignorance beheld - | Diviner than the Childhood's | And each to each, a Child - | | Attempted to expound | What Neither - understood - | Alas, that Wisdom is so large - | And Truth - so manifold!»

«Must be a Wo - | A loss or so - | To bend the eye | Best Beauty's way - | But - once aslant | It notes Delight | As clarified | 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.»

«Delight - becomes pictorial - | When viewed through Pain - | More fair - because impossible | That any gain - | The Mountain - at a given distance - | In Amber - lies - | Approached - the Amber flits - a little - | And That's - the Skies.»

«The Test of Love - is Death - | Our Lord - "so loved" - it saith - | What Largest Lover - hath | Another - doth - | If smaller Patience - be - | Through less Infinity - | If Bravo, sometimes swerve - | Through fainter Nerve - | | Accept it's Best - | And overlook - the Dust - | Last - Least - | The Cross'- Request.»

«The Body grows without - | The more convenient way - | That if the Spirit - like to hide | It's Temple stands, always, | Ajar - secure - inviting - | It never did betray | The Soul that asked it's shelter | In solemn honesty.»

«I gave myself to Him - | And took Himself, for Pay, | The Solemn Contract of a Life | Was ratified, this way - | The Wealth might disappoint - | Myself a poorer prove | Than this great Purchaser suspect, | The Daily Own - of Love | | Depreciate the Vision - | But till the Merchant buy - | How Fable - in the Isles of Spice - | The subtle Cargoes - lie - | | At least - 'tis Mutual - Risk - | Some - found it - Mutual Gain - | Sweet Debt of Life - Each Night to owe - | Insolvent - every Noon.»

«Inconceivably solemn! | Things so gay | Pierce - by the very Press | Of Imagery - | Their far Parades - order on the eye | With a mute Pomp - | A pleading Pageantry - | | Flags, are a brave sight - | But no true Eye | Ever went by One - | Steadily - | | Music's triumphant - | But a fine Ear | Winces with delight | Are Drums too near.»

«A Toad, can die of Light - | Death is the Common Right | Of Toads and Men - | Of Earl and Midge | The privilege - | Why swagger, then? | The Gnat's supremacy is large as Thine - | Life - is Another Thing - | So measure Wine - | Naked of Flask - Naked of Cask - | Bare Rhine - | Which Ruby's mine?»

«I like to see it lap the Miles - | And lick the Valleys up - | And stop to feed itself at Tanks - | And then - prodigious step | Around a Pile of Mountains - | And supercilious peer | In Shanties - by the sides of Roads - | And then a Quarry pare | | To fit it's sides | And crawl between | Complaining all the while | In horrid - hooting stanza - | Then chase itself down Hill - | | And neigh like Boanerges - | Then - punctual as - a Star | Stop - docile and omnipotent | At it's own stable door.»

«We talked as Girls do - | Fond, and late - | We speculated fair, on every subject, but the Grave - | Of our's, none affair - | We handled Destinies, as cool - | As we - Disposers - be - | And God, a Quiet Party | To our authority - | | But fondest, dwelt upon Ourself | As we eventual - be - | When Girls, to Women, softly raised | We - occupy - Degree - | | We parted with a contract | To cherish, and to write | But Heaven made both, impossible | Before another night.»

«Empty my Heart, of Thee - | It's 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 Tree - | Thee - then - no me - | The Heavens stripped - | Eternity's vast pocket, picked.»

«To interrupt His Yellow Plan | The Sun does not allow | Caprices of the Atmosphere - | And even when the Snow | Heaves Balls of Specks, like Vicious Boy | Directly in His Eye - | Does not so much as turn His Head - | Busy with Majesty - | | 'Tis His to stimulate the Earth - | And magnetize the Sea - | And bind Astronomy, in place, | Yet Any passing by | | Would deem Ourselves - the busier | As the minutest Bee | That rides - emits a Thunder - | A Bomb - to justify.»