I - Years - had been - from Home - And now - before the Door - I dared not open - lest a face I never saw before Stare vacant into mine - And ask my Business there - My Business - just a Life I left - Was such - still dwelling there? I fumbled at my nerve - I scanned the Windows o'er - The Silence - like an Ocean rolled - And broke against my Ear - I laughed a Wooden laugh - That I - could fear a Door - Who Danger - and the Dead - had faced - But never shook - before - I fitted to the Latch - My Hand - With trembling Care - Lest back the Awful Door should spring - And leave me - in the Floor - I moved my fingers off, as cautiously as Glass - And held my Ears - and like a Thief Stole - gasping - from the House. ___ You'll find - it when you try to die - The easier to let go - For recollecting such as went - You could not spare - you know. And though their places somewhat filled - As did their Marble names With Moss - they never grew so full - You chose the newer names - And when this World - sets further back - As Dying - say it does - The former love - distincter grows - And supersedes the fresh - And Thought of them - so fair invites - It looks too tawdry Grace To stay behind - with just the Toys We bought - to ease their place - ___ I see thee better - in the Dark - I do not need a Light - The Love of Thee - a Prism be - Excelling Violet - I see thee better for the Years That hunch themselves between - The Miner's Lamp - sufficient be - To nullify the Mine - And in the Grave - I see Thee best - It's little Panels be Aglow - All ruddy - with the Light I held so high, for Thee - What need of Day - To Those whose Dark - hath so - surpassing Sun - It deem it be - Continually - At the Meridian? ___ Could - I do more - for Thee - Wert Thou a Bumble Bee - Since for the Queen, have I - Nought but Bouquet? ___ It would have starved a Gnat - To live so small as I - And yet, I was a living child - With Food's nescessity Upon me - like a Claw - I could no more remove Than I could coax a Leech away - Or make a Dragon - move - Not like the Gnat - had I - The privilege to fly And seek a Dinner for myself - How mightier He - than I! Nor like Himself - the Art Upon the Window Pane To gad my little Being out - And not begin - again - ___ They shut me up in Prose - As when a little Girl They put me in the Closet - Because they liked me "still" - Still! Could themself have peeped - And seen my Brain - go round - They might as wise have lodged a Bird For Treason - in the Pound - Himself has but to will And easy as a Star Look down upon Captivity - And laugh - No more have I - ___ This was a Poet - It is That Distills amazing sense From Ordinary Meanings - And Attar so immense From the familiar species That perished by the Door - We wonder it was not Ourselves Arrested it - before - Of Pictures, the Discloser - The Poet - it is He - Entitles Us - by Contrast - To ceaseless Poverty - Of portion - so unconscious - The Robbing - could not harm - Himself - to Him - a Fortune - Exterior - to Time - ___ In falling Timbers buried - There breathed a Man - Outside - the Spades - were plying - The Lungs - within - Could He - know - they sought Him - Could They - know - He breathed - Horrid Sand Partition - Neither - could be heard - Never slacked the Diggers - But when Spades had done - Oh, Reward of Anguish, It was dying - Then - Many Things - are fruitless - 'Tis a Baffling Earth - But there is no Gratitude Like the Grace - of Death - ___ I died for Beauty - but was scarce Adjusted in the Tomb When One who died for Truth, was lain In an adjoining Room - He questioned softly "Why I failed"? "For Beauty", I replied - "And I - for Truth - Themself are One - We Bretheren, are", He said - And so, as Kinsmen, met a Night - We talked between the Rooms - Until the Moss had reached our lips - And covered up - our names - ___ Dreams - are well - but Waking's better - If One wake at Morn - If One wake at Midnight - better - Dreaming - of the Dawn - Sweeter - the Surmising Robins - Never gladdened Tree - Than a Solid Dawn - confronting - Leading to no Day - ___ The Outer - from the Inner Derives it's Magnitude - 'Tis Duke, or Dwarf, according As is the central mood - The fine - unvarying Axis That regulates the Wheel - Though Spokes - spin - more conspicuous And fling a dust - the while. The Inner - paints the Outer - The Brush without the Hand - It's Picture publishes - precise - As is the inner Brand - On fine - Arterial Canvas - A Cheek - perchance a Brow - The Star's whole secret - in the Lake - Eyes were not meant to know. ___ At last, to be identified! At last, the lamps upon thy side The rest of Life to see! Past Midnight! Past the Morning Star! Past Sunrise! Ah, What leagues there were Between our feet, and Day! ___ The Malay - took the Pearl - Not - I - the Earl - I - feared the Sea - too much Unsanctified - to touch - Praying that I might be Worthy - the Destiny - The Swarthy fellow swam - And bore my Jewel - Home - Home to the Hut! What lot Had I - the Jewel - got - Borne on a Dusky Breast - I had not deemed a Vest Of Amber - fit - The Negro never knew I - wooed it - too - To gain, or be undone - Alike to Him - One - ___ Love - thou art high - I cannot climb thee - But, were it Two - Who know but we - Taking turns - at the Chimborazo - Ducal - at last - stand up by thee - Love - thou art deep - I cannot cross thee - But, were there Two Instead of One - Rower, and Yacht - some sovreign Summer - Who knows - but we'd reach the Sun? Love - thou are Vailed - A few - behold thee - Smile - and alter - and prattle - and die - Bliss - were an Oddity - without thee - Nicknamed by God - Eternity - ___ Our journey had advanced - Our feet were almost come To that odd Fork in Being's Road - Eternity - by Term - Our pace took sudden awe - Our feet - reluctant - led - Before - were Cities - but Between - The Forest of the Dead - Retreat - was out of Hope - Behind - a Sealed Route - Eternity's Cool Flag - in front - And God - at every Gate - ___ I rose - because He sank - I thought it would be opposite - But when his power bent - My Soul grew straight. I cheered my fainting Prince - I sang firm - even - Chants - I helped his Film - with Hymn - And when the Dews drew off That held his Forehead stiff - I met him - Balm to Balm - I told him Best - must pass Through this low Arch of Flesh - No Casque so brave It spurn the Grave - I told him Worlds I knew Where Emperors grew - Who recollected us If we were true - And so with Thews of Hymn - And Sinew from within - And ways I knew not that I knew - till then - I lifted Him - ___ It was given to me by the Gods - When I was a little Girl - They given us Presents most - you know - When we are new - and small. I kept it in my Hand - I never put it down - I did not dare to eat - or sleep - For fear it would be gone - I heard such words as "Rich" - When hurrying to school - From lips at Corners of the Streets - And wrestled with a smile. Rich! 'Twas Myself - was rich - To take the name of Gold - And Gold to own - in solid Bars - The Difference - made me bold - ___