He traverses — familiar —
As One should come to Town
And tell you all your Dreams-were true —
He lived — where Dreams were born —
His presence is Enchantment,
You beg him not to go —
Old Volumes shake their Vellum Heads
And tantalize — just so —
They dropped like Flakes —
Tthey dropped like Stars —
Like Petals from a Rose —
When suddenly across the June
A wind with fingers — goes —
They perished in the Seamless Grass, —
No eye could find the place —
But God can summon every face
On his Repealless — List
.
I am alive — I guess —
The Branches on my Hand
Are full of Morning Glory —
And at my finger's end —
The Carmine — tingles warm —
And if I hold a Glass
Across my Mouth — it blurs it —
Physician's — proof of Breath —
I am alive — because
I am not in a Room —
The Parlor — Commonly — it is —
So Visitors may come —
And lean — and view it sidewise —
And add` How cold — it grew" —
And Was it conscious — when it stepped
In Immortality?
I am alive — because
I do not own a House —
Entitled to myself — precise —
And fitting to no one else —
And marked my Girlhood's name —
So Visitors may know
Which Door is mine — and not mistake —
And try another Key —
How good-to be alive!
How infinite to be
Alive — two-fold —
The Birth I had —
And this — besides, in — Thee!
It was not Death, for I stood up,
And all the Dead, lie down —
It was not Night, for all the Bells
Put out their Tongues, for Noon.
It was not Frost, for on my Flesh
I felt Siroccos — crawl —
Nor Fire — for just my Marble feet
Could keep a Chancel, cool —
And yet it tasted, like them all,
The Figures I have seen
Set orderly, for Burial,
Reminded me, of mine —
As if my life were shaven,
And fitted to a frame,
And could not breathe without a key,
And «t was like Midnight, some —
When everything that ticked-has stopped —
And Space stares all around —
Or Grisly frosts- first Autumn morns,
Repeal the Beating Ground —
But most, like Chaos — Stopless — cool —
Without a Chance, or Spar —
Or even a Report of Land
To justify — Despair.»
I Took my Power in my Hand —
And went against the World —
'T was not so much as David — had —
But I was twice as bold —
I aimed my Pebble — but Myself
Was all the one that fell —
Was it Goliaf — was too large —
Or was myself — too small?
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 —
