Pain and Despair

The Chemical conviction

954

The Chemical conviction
That Nought be lost
Enable in Disaster
My fractured Trust-

The Faces of the Atoms
If I shall see
How more the Finished Creatures
Departed me!

The Black Berry—wears a Thorn in his side

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—

Suspense—is Hostiler than Death

705

Suspense—is Hostiler than Death—
Death—tho'soever Broad,
Is Just Death, and cannot increase—
Suspense—does not conclude—


But perishes—to live anew—
But just anew to die—
Annihilation—plated fresh
With Immortality—

Struck, was I, not yet by Lightning

925

Struck, was I, not yet by LightningLightning-
lets away
Power to perceive His Process
With Vitality.

Maimed-was I-yet not by Venture-
Stone of stolid Boy-
Nor a Sportsman's Peradventure-
Who mine Enemy?

Robbed-was I-intact to Bandit-
All my Mansion tornSun-
withdrawn to Recognition-
Furthest shining-done-

Yet was not the foe-of any-
Not the smallest Bird
In the nearest Orchard dwelling
Be of Me-afraid.

Most-I love the Cause that slew Me.
Often as I die
Its beloved Recognition
Holds a Sun on Me


Best-at Setting-as is Nature's-
Neither witnessed Rise
Till the infinite Aurora
In the other's eyes.

Such is the Force of Happiness

787

Such is the Force of Happiness-
The Least-can lift a Ton
Assisted by its stimulus-

Who Misery-sustain-
No Sinew can afford-
The Cargo of Themselves-
Too infinite for Consciousness'
Slow capabilities.

She dealt her pretty words like Blades

479

She dealt her pretty words like Blades-
How glittering they shone-
And every One unbared a Nerve
Or wantoned with a Bone-

She never deemed-she hurtThat-
is not Steel's Affair-
A vulgar grimace in the Flesh-
How ill the Creatures bear-

To Ache is human-not polite-
The Film upon the eye
Mortality's old Custom-
Just locking up-to Die.

Savior! I've no one else to tell

217

Savior! I've no one else to tell-
And so I trouble thee.
I am the one forgot thee so-
Dost thou remember me?
Nor, for myself, I came so far-
That were the little load-
I brought thee the imperial Heart
I had not strength to hold-
The Heart I carried in my own-
Till mine too heavy grewYet-
strangest-heavier since it went-
Is it too large for you?

Remorse


Remorse -- is Memory -- awake --
Her Parties all astir --
A Presence of Departed Acts --
At window -- and at Door --

Its Past -- set down before the Soul
And lighted with a Match --
Perusal -- to facilitate --
And help Belief to stretch --

Remorse is cureless -- the Disease
Not even God -- can heal --
For 'tis His institution -- and
The Adequate of Hell --

Poor little Heart!

192

Poor little Heart!
Did they forget thee?
Then dinna care! Then dinna care!


Proud little Heart!
Did they forsake thee?
Be debonnaire! Be debonnaire!


Frail little Heart!
I would not break theeCould'st
credit me? Could'st credit me?


Gay little Heart-
Like Morning Glory!
Wind and Sun-wilt thee array!

Pain-expands the Time

967

Pain-expands the Time-
Ages coil within
The minute Circumference
Of a single Brain-

Pain contracts-the Time-
Occupied with Shot
Gamuts of Eternities
Are as they were not-

Pain Has An Element

Pain has an element of blank;
It cannot recollect
When it began, or if there were
A day when it was not.


It has no future but itself,
Its infinite realms contain
Its past, enlightened to perceive
New periods of pain.

Nature-sometimes sears a Sapling

314

Nature-sometimes sears a SaplingSometimes-
scalps a Tree-
Her Green People recollect it
When they do not die-

Fainter Leaves-to Further Seasons-
Dumbly testifyWe-
who have the Souls-
Die oftener-Not so vitally-

Must be a Woe

571

Must be a Woe-
A loss or so-
To bend the eye
Best Beauty's way


But-once aslant
It notes Delight
As difficult
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-

Morns like these—we parted

27

Morns like these—we parted—
Noons like these—she rose—
Fluttering first—then firmer
To her fair repose.


Never did she lisp it—
It was not for me—
She—was mute from transport—
I—from agony—


Till—the evening nearing
One the curtains drew—
Quick! A Sharper rustling!
And this linnet flew!

Like eyes that looked on Wastes

458

Like eyes that looked on Wastes-
Incredulous of Ought
But Blank-and steady Wilderness-
Diversified by Night-

Just Infinites of Nought-
As far as it could see-
So looked the face I looked upon-
So looked itself-on Me-

I offered it no Help-
Because the Cause was Mine-
The Misery a Compact
As hopeless-as divine


Neither-would be absolved-
Neither would be a Queen
Without the Other-Therefore-
We perish-tho' We reign-

Joy to have merited the Pain

788

Joy to have merited the Pain-
To merit the Release-
Joy to have perished every step-
To Compass Paradise


Pardon-to look upon thy face-
With these old fashioned Eyes-
Better than new-could be-for that-
Though bought in Paradise-

Because they looked on thee before-
And thou hast looked on them-
Prove Me-My Hazel Witnesses
The features are the same-

So fleet thou wert, when present-
So infinite-when gone-
An Orient's Apparition-
Remanded of the Morn-

The Height I recollect'
Twas even with the Hills-
The Depth upon my Soul was notched-
As Floods-on Whites of Wheels-

To Haunt-till Time have dropped
His last Decade away,
And Haunting actualize-to last
At least-Eternity-

I've seen a Dying Eye

547

I've seen a Dying Eye
Run round and round a Room-
In search of Something-as it seemed-
Then Cloudier become-
And then-obscure with Fog-
And then-be soldered down
Without disclosing what it be
'Twere blessed to have seen-

It's such a little thing to weep

189

It's such a little thing to weep-
So short a thing to sigh-
And yet-by Trades-the size of these
We men and women die!

It would have starved a Gnat

612

It would have starved a Gnat-
To live so small as I-
And yet I was a living Child-
With Food's necessity

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-

It knew no Medicine

559

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 NameYou've
seen it on a Cast's face-
Was Paradise-to blame-

If momently ajarTemerity-
drew near-
And sickened-ever afterward
For Somewhat that it saw?

It might be lonelier

405

It might be lonelier
Without the LonelinessI'm
so accustomed to my Fate-
Perhaps the Other-Peace-

Would interrupt the Dark-
And crowd the little Room-
Too scant-by Cubits-to contain
The Sacrament-of Him-

I am not used to Hope-
It might intrude upon-
Its sweet parade-blaspheme the place-
Ordained to Suffering-

It might be easier
To fail-with Land in Sight-
Than gain-My Blue Peninsula-
To perish-of Delight-

It is easy to work when the soul is at play

244

It is easy to work when the soul is at play-
But when the soul is in pain-
The hearing him put his playthings up
Makes work difficult-then-

It is simple, to ache in the Bone, or the Rind-
But Gimlets-among the nerve-
Mangle daintier-terribler-
Like a Panter in the Glove-

It ceased to hurt me, though so slow

584

It ceased to hurt me, though so slow
I could not feel the Anguish go-
But only knew by looking back-
That something-had benumbed the Track-


Nor when it altered, I could say,
For I had worn it, every day,
As constant as the Childish frock-
I hung upon the Peg, at night.


But not the Grief-that nestled close
As needles-ladies softly press
To Cushions Cheeks-
To keep their place-


Nor what consoled it, I could trace-
Except, whereas 'twas WildernessIt's
better-almost Peace-

If your Nerve, deny you

292

If your Nerve, deny you-
Go above your Nerve-
He can lean against the Grave,
If he fear to swerve


That's a steady posture-
Never any bend
Held of those Brass arms-
Best Giant made-

If your Soul seesaw-
Lift the Flesh door-
The Poltroon wants Oxygen-
Nothing more-