• The Whole of it came not at once —

    The Whole of it came not at once —

    'Twas Murder by degrees —

    A Thrust — and then for Life a chance —

    The Bliss to cauterize —


    The Cat reprieves the Mouse

    She eases from her teeth

    Just long enough for Hope to tease —

    Then mashes it to death —


    'Tis Life's award — to die...

  • The Wife (Dickinson)

    She rose to his requirement, dropped

    The playthings of her life

    To take the honorable work

    Of woman and of wife.


    If aught she missed in her new day

    Of amplitude, or awe,

    Or first prospective, or the gold

    In...

  • The Wind (Dickinson)

    As if some caravan of sound

    On deserts, in the sky,

    Had broken rank,

    Then knit, and passed

    In seamless company.

  • The Wind begun to knead the Grass —

  • The Wind didn't come from the Orchard — today —

    The Wind didn't come from the Orchard — today —

    Further than that —

    Nor stop to play with the Hay —

    Nor joggle a Hat —

    He's a transitive fellow — very —

    Rely on that —


    If He leave a Bur at the door

    We know He has climbed a Fir —

    But the Fir is Where — Declare —

    ...

  • The wind drew off

    The wind drew off

    Like hungry dogs

    Defeated of a bone —

    Through fissures in

    Volcanic cloud

    The yellow lightning shone —

    The trees held up

    Their mangled limbs

    Like animals in pain —

    When Nature falls upon herself

    Beware an Austrian.

  • The Wind took up the Northern Things

    The Wind took up the Northern Things

    And piled them in the south —

    Then gave the East unto the West

    And opening his mouth


    The four Divisions of the Earth

    Did make as to devour

    While everything to corners slunk

    Behind the awful power —


    The Wind — unto his Chambers went...

  • The Wind — tapped like a tired Man —

    The Wind — tapped like a tired Man —

    And like a Host — "Come in"

    I boldly answered — entered then

    My Residence within


    A Rapid — footless Guest —

    To offer whom a Chair

    Were as impossible as hand

    A Sofa to the Air —


    No Bone had He to bind Him —

    His Speech was...

  • The Winter Nosegay

    THE WINTER NOSEGAY.


    What Nature, alas! has denied

      To the delicate growth of our isle,

    Art has in a measure supplied,

      And Winter is deck'd with a smile.

    See, Mary, what beauties I bring

      From the shelter of that sunny shed,

    Where...

  • The Winters are so short —

    The Winters are so short —

    I'm hardly justified

    In sending all the Birds away —

    And moving into Pod —


    Myself — for scarcely settled —

    The Phoebes have begun —

    And then — it's time to strike my Tent —

    And open House — again —


    It's mostly, interruptions —

    My...