Longing and Absence

We miss Her, not because We see

993

We miss Her, not because We see-
The Absence of an Eye-
Except its Mind accompany
Abridge Society

As slightly as the Routes of StarsOurselves-
asleep below-
We know that their superior Eyes
Include Us-as they go-

Too little way the House must lie

911

Too little way the House must lie
From every Human Heart
That holds in undisputed Lease
A white inhabitant-

Too narrow is the Right between-
Too imminent the chance-
Each Consciousness must emigrate
And lose its neighbor once-

To learn the Transport by the Pain

167

To learn the Transport by the Pain
As Blind Men learn the sun!
To die of thirst-suspecting
That Brooks in Meadows run!


To stay the homesick-homesick feet
Upon a foreign shore-
Haunted by native lands, the while-
And blue-beloved air!


This is the Sovereign Anguish!
This-the signal woe!
These are the patient "Laureates"
Whose voices-trained-below-


Ascend in ceaseless Carol-
Inaudible, indeed,
To us-the duller scholars
Of the Mysterious Bard!

Till Death—is narrow Loving

907

Till Death—is narrow Loving—
The scantest Heart extant
Will hold you till your privilege
Of Finiteness—be spent—

But He whose loss procures you
Such Destitution that
Your Life too abject for itself
Thenceforward imitate—

Until—Resemblance perfect—
Yourself, for His pursuit
Delight of Nature—abdicate—
Exhibit Love—somewhat—

The Way I read a Letter's—this

636

The Way I read a Letter's—this—
'Tis first—I lock the Door—
And push it with my fingers—next—
For transport it be sure—


And then I go the furthest off
To counteract a knock—
Then draw my little Letter forth
And slowly pick the lock—


Then—glancing narrow, at the Wall—
And narrow at the floor
For firm Conviction of a Mouse
Not exorcised before—


Peruse how infinite I am
To no one that You—know—
And sigh for lack of Heaven—but not
The Heaven God bestow—

The Lady feeds Her little Bird

941

The Lady feeds Her little Bird
At rarer intervals-
The little Bird would not dissent
But meekly recognize

The Gulf between the Hand and Her
And crumbless and afar
And fainting, on Her yellow Knee
Fall softly, and adore-

Shells from the Coast mistaking

693

Shells from the Coast mistaking-
I cherished them for All-
Happening in After Ages
To entertain a Pearl-

Wherefore so late-I murmured-
My need of Thee-be doneTherefore-
the Pearl responded-
My Period begin

Not in this world to see his face

Not in this world to see his face
Sounds long, until I read the place
Where this is said to be
But just the primer to a life
Unopened, rare, upon the shelf,
Clasped yet to him and me.


And yet, my primer suits me so
I would not choose a book to know
Than that, be sweeter wise;
Might some one else so learned be.
And leave me just my A B C,
Himself could have the skies.

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!

Me prove it now—Whoever doubt

537

Me prove it now—Whoever doubt
Me stop to prove it—now—
Make haste—the Scruple! Death be scant
For Opportunity—


The River reaches to my feet—
As yet—My Heart be dry—
Oh Lover—Life could not convince—
Might Death—enable Thee—


The River reaches to My Breast—
Still—still—My Hands above
Proclaim with their remaining Might—
Dost recognize the Love?


The River reaches to my Mouth—
Remember—when the Sea
Swept by my searching eyes—the last—
Themselves were quick—with Thee!

I've none to tell me to but Thee

881

I've none to tell me to but Thee
So when Thou failest, nobody.
It was a little tie-
It just held Two, nor those it held
Since Somewhere thy sweet Face has spilled
Beyond my Boundary-

If things were opposite-and Me
And Me it were-that ebbed from Thee
On some unanswering ShoreWould'st
Thou seek so-just say
That I the Answer may pursue
Unto the lips it eddied throughSo-
overtaking Thee-

In Ebon Box, when years have flown

169

In Ebon Box, when years have flown
To reverently peer,
Wiping away the velvet dust
Summers have sprinkled there!


To hold a letter to the light-
Grown Tawny now, with time-
To con the faded syllables
That quickened us like Wine!


Perhaps a Flower's shrivelled check
Among its stores to find-
Plucked far away, some morning-
By gallant-mouldering hand!


A curl, perhaps, from foreheads
Our Constancy forgot-
Perhaps, an Antique trinket-
In vanished fashions set!


And then to lay them quiet back-
And go about its care-
As if the little Ebon Box
Were none of our affair!

If I may have it, when it's dead

577

If I may have it, when it's dead,
I'll be contented-so-
If just as soon as Breath is out
It shall belong to me-


Until they lock it in the Grave,
'Tis Bliss I cannot weigh-
For tho' they lock Thee in the Grave,
Myself-can own the key-


Think of it Lover! I and Thee
Permitted-face to face to be-
After a Life-a Death-We'll say-
For Death was That-
And this-is Thee


I'll tell Thee All-how Bald it grew-
How Midnight felt, at first-to me-
How all the Clocks stopped in the World-
And Sunshine pinched me-'Twas so cold-


Then how the Grief got sleepy-some-
As if my Soul were deaf and dumb-
Just making signs-across-to Thee-
That this way-thou could'st notice me


I'll tell you how I tried to keep
A smile, to show you, when this Deep
All Waded-We look back for Play,
At those Old Times-in Calvary,


Forgive me, if the Grave come slow-
For Coveting to look at Thee-
Forgive me, if to stroke thy frost
Outvisions Paradise!

I would distil a cup

16

I would distil a cup,
And bear to all my friends,
Drinking to her no more astir,
By beck, or burn, or moor!

I tried to think a lonelier Thing

532

I tried to think a lonelier Thing
Than any I had seen-
Some Polar Expiation-An Omen in the Bone
Of Death's tremendous nearness-

I probed Retrieverless things
My Duplicate-to borrow-
A Haggard Comfort springs

From the belief that Somewhere-
Within the Clutch of Thought-
There dwells one other Creature
Of Heavenly Love-forgot-

I plucked at our Partition
As One should pry the Walls-
Between Himself-and Horror's Twin-
Within Opposing Cells-

I almost strove to clasp his Hand,
Such Luxury-it grew-
That as Myself-could pity Him-
Perhaps he-pitied me-

I tend my flowers for thee

339

I tend my flowers for thee-
Bright Absentee!
My Fuchsia's Coral Seams
Rip-while the Sower-dreams


Geraniums-tint-and spot-
Low Daisies-dot-
My Cactus-splits her Beard
To show her throat


Carnations-tip their spice-
And Bees-pick up-
A Hyacinth-I hid-
Puts out a Ruffled Head-
And odors fall
From flasks-so small-
You marvel how they held-

Globe Roses-break their satin glake-
Upon my Garden floorYet-
thou-not there-
I had as lief they bore
No Crimson-more-

Thy flower-be gay-
Her Lord-away!
It ill becometh meI'll
dwell in Calyx-Gray-
How modestly-alway-
Thy Daisy-
Draped for thee!

I sing to use the Waiting

850

I sing to use the Waiting
My Bonnet but to tie
And shut the Door unto my House
No more to do have I

Till His best step approaching
We journey to the Day
And tell each other how We sung
To Keep the Dark away.

I should not dare to leave my friend

205

I should not dare to leave my friend,
Because-because if he should die
While I was gone-and I-too late-
Should reach the Heart that wanted me-

If I should disappoint the eyes
That hunted-hunted so-to see-
And could not bear to shut until
They "noticed" me-they noticed me-

If I should stab the patient faith
So sure I'd come-so sure I'd come-
It listening-listening-went to sleep-
Telling my tardy name-

My Heart would wish it broke before-
Since breaking then-since breaking then-
Were useless as next morning's sun-
Where midnight frosts-had lain!

I ment to find her when I came;

I meant to find her when I came;
Death had the same design;
But the success was his, it seems,
And the discomfit mine.

I meant to tell her how I longed
For just this single time;
But Death had told her so the first,
And she had hearkened him.

To wander now is my abode;
To rest,--to rest would be
A privilege of hurricane
To memory and me.

I many times thought Peace had come

739

I many times thought Peace had come
When Peace was far away-
As Wrecked Men-deem they sight the Land-
At Centre of the Sea-

And struggle slacker-but to prove
As hopelessly as I-
How many the fictitious Shores-
Before the Harbor be-

I hide myself within my flower

903

I hide myself within my flower,
That fading from your Vase,
You, unsuspecting, feel for me-
Almost a loneliness.

I had not minded—Walls

398

I had not minded—Walls—
Were Universe—one Rock—
And fr 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 Veil
Unto the Lady's face—
But every Mesh—a Citadel—
And Dragons—in the Crease—

I had no time to Hate

478

I had no time to Hate-
Because
The Grave would hinder Me-
And Life was not so
Ample I
Could finish-Enmity-

Nor had I time to Love-
But since
Some Industry must be-
The little Toil of Love-
I thought
Be large enough for Me-

I envy Seas, whereon He rides

498

I envy Seas, whereon He rides-
I envy Spokes of Wheels
Of Chariots, that Him convey-
I envy Crooked Hills

That gaze upon His journey-
How easy All can see
What is forbidden utterly
As Heaven-unto me!

I envy Nests of Sparrows-
That dot His distant Eaves-
The wealthy Fly, upon His Pane-
The happy-happy Leaves-

That just abroad His Window
Have Summer's leave to play-
The Ear Rings of Pizarro
Could not obtain for me-

I envy Light-that wakes Him-
And Bells-that boldly ring
To tell Him it is Noon, abroadMyself-
be Noon to Him-

Yet interdict-my Blossom-
And abrogate-my Bee-
Lest Noon in Everlasting Night-
Drop Gabriel-and Me-