There's been a Death, in the Opposite House, As lately as Today - I know it, by the numb look Such Houses have - alway - The Neighbors rustle in and out - The Doctor - drives away - A Window opens like a Pod - Abrupt - mechanically - Somebody flings a Mattrass out - The Children hurry by - They wonder if it died - on that - I used to - when a Boy - The Minister - goes stiffly in - As if the House were His - And He owned all the Mourners - now - And little Boys - besides - And then the Milliner - and the Man Of the Appalling Trade - To take the measure of the House - There'll be that Dark Parade - Of Tassels - and of Coaches - soon - It's easy as a Sign - The Intuition of the News - In just a Country Town - ___ The Black Berry - wears a Thorn in his side - But no Man heard Him cry - He offers His Berry, just the same To Partridge - and to Boy - He sometimes holds upon the Fence - Or struggles to a Tree - Or clasps a Rock, with both His Hands - But not for Sympathy - We - tell a Hurt - to cool it - This Mourner - to the Sky A little further reaches - instead - Brave Black Berry - ___ The One who could repeat the Summer day - Were greater than itself - though He Minutest of Mankind should be - And He - could reproduce the Sun - At period of going down - The Lingering - and the Stain - I mean - When Orient have been outgrown - And Occident - become Unknown - His Name - remain - ___ I measure every Grief I meet With narrow, probing, Eyes - I wonder if It weighs like Mine - Or has an Easier size - I wonder if They bore it long - Or did it just begin - I could not tell the Date of Mine - It feels so old a pain - I wonder if it hurts to live - And if They have to try - And whether - could They choose between - It would not be - to die - I note that Some - gone patient long - At length, renew their smile - An imitation of a Light That has so little Oil - I wonder if when Years have piled - Some Thousands - on the Harm - That hurt them Early - such a lapse Could give them any Balm - Or would They go on aching still Through Centuries of Nerve - Enlightened to a larger Pain - In Contrast with the Love - The Grieved - are many - I am told - There is the various Cause - Death - is but one - and comes but once - And only nails the Eyes - There's Grief of Want - and Grief of Cold - A sort they call "Despair" - There's Banishment from native Eyes - In sight of Native Air - And though I may not guess the kind - Correctly - yet to me A piercing Comfort it affords In passing Calvary - To note the fashions - of the Cross - And how they're mostly worn - Still fascinated to presume That Some - are like my own - ___ Conjecturing a Climate Of unsuspended Suns - Adds poignancy to Winter - The shivering Fancy turns To a fictitious Country To palliate a Cold - Not obviated of Degree - Nor eased - of Latitude - ___ There is a Languor of the Life More imminent than Pain - 'Tis Pain's Successor - When the Soul Has suffered all it can - A Drowsiness - diffuses - A Dimness like a Fog Envelops Consciousness - As Mists - obliterate a Crag. The Surgeon - does not blanch - at pain His Habit - is severe - But tell him that it ceased to feel - The Creature lying there - And he will tell you - Skill is late - A Mightier than He - Has ministered before Him - There's no Vitality. ___ When Diamonds are a Legend, And Diadems - a Tale - I Brooch and Earrings for Myself, Do sow, and Raise for sale - And tho' I'm scarce accounted, My Art, a Summer Day - had Patrons - Once - it was a Queen - And once - a Butterfly - ___ I had not minded - Walls - Were Universe - one Rock - And far I heard his silver Call The other side the Block - I'd tunnel - till my Groove Pushed sudden thro' to his - Then my face take her Recompense - The looking in his Eyes - But 'tis a single Hair - A filament - a law - A Cobweb - wove in Adamant - A Battlement - of Straw - A limit like the Vail Unto the Lady's face - But every Mesh - a Citadel - And Dragons - in the Crease - ___ A House upon the Hight - That Wagon never reached - No Dead, were ever carried down - No Peddler's Cart - approached - Whose Chimney never smoked - Whose Windows - Night and Morn - Caught Sunrise first - and Sunset - last - Then - held an Empty Pane - Whose fate - Conjecture knew - No other neighbor - did - And what it was - we never lisped - Because He - never told - ___ It's Coming - the postponeless Creature - It gains the Block - and now - it gains the Door - Chooses it's latch, from all the other fastenings - Enters - with a "You know Me - Sir"? Simple Salute - and certain Recognition - Bold - were it Enemy - Brief - were it friend - Dresses each House in Crape, and Icicle - And Carries one - out of it - to God - ___ I send Two Sunsets - Day and I - in competition ran - I finished Two - and several Stars - While He - was making One - His own was ampler - but as I Was saying to a friend - Mine - is the more convenient To Carry in the Hand - ___ A Visitor in Marl - Who influences Flowers - Till they are orderly as Busts - And Elegant - as Glass - Who visits in the Night - And just before the Sun - Concludes his glistening interview - Caresses - and is gone - But whom his fingers touched - And where his feet have run - And whatsoever Mouth he kissed - Is as it had not been - ___ Through the Dark Sod - as Education - The Lily passes sure - Feels her White foot - no trepidation - Her faith - no fear - Afterward - in the Meadow - Swinging her Beryl Bell - The Mold-life - all forgotten - now - In Extasy - and Dell - ___ Did Our Best Moment last - 'Twould supersede the Heaven - A few - and they by Risk - procure - So this Sort - are not given - Except as stimulants - in Cases of Despair - Or Stupor - The Reserve - These Heavenly Moments are - A Grant of the Divine - That Certain as it Comes - Withdraws - and leaves the dazzled Soul In her unfurnished Rooms ___ 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 assured 'Twas better - the perceiving not - Provided it believed - ___ 'Twas Love - not me - Oh punish - pray - The Real one died for Thee - Just Him - not me - Such Guilt - to love Thee - most! Doom it beyond the Rest - Forgive it - last - 'Twas base as Jesus - most! Let Justice not mistake - We Two - looked so alike - Which was the Guilty Sake - 'Twas Love's - Now strike! ___ 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 Obtuser Mints, The Julep - of the Bee - ___ Reverse cannot befall That fine Prosperity Whose Sources are interior - As soon - Adversity A Diamond - overtake In far - Bolivian Ground - Misfortune hath no implement Could mar it - if it found - ___ But little Carmine hath her face - Of Emerald scant - her Gown - Her Beauty - is the love she doth - Itself - exhibit - mine - ___ 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 - ___