Empty my Heart, of Thee - It's single Artery - Begin, and leave Thee out - Simply Extinction's Date - Much Billow hath the Sea - One Baltic - They - Subtract Thyself, in play, And not enough of me Is left - to put away - "Myself" meanth Thee -
Erase the Root - no Tree - Thee - then - no me - The Heavens stripped - Eternity's vast pocket, picked.
We talked as Girls do - Fond, and late - We speculated fair, on every subject, but the Grave - Of our's, none affair - We handled Destinies, as cool - As we - Disposers - be - And God, a Quiet Party To our authority -
But fondest, dwelt upon Ourself As we eventual - be - When Girls, to Women, softly raised We - occupy - Degree -
We parted with a contract To cherish, and to write But Heaven made both, impossible Before another night.
I like to see it lap the Miles - And lick the Valleys up - And stop to feed itself at Tanks - And then - prodigious step Around a Pile of Mountains - And supercilious peer In Shanties - by the sides of Roads - And then a Quarry pare
To fit it's sides And crawl between Complaining all the while In horrid - hooting stanza - Then chase itself down Hill -
And neigh like Boanerges - Then - punctual as - a Star Stop - docile and omnipotent At it's own stable door.
It ceased to hurt me, though so slow I could not see the trouble go - But only knew by looking back - That something - had obscured 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 Wilderness - It's better - almost Peace.
A Toad, can die of Light - Death is the Common Right Of Toads and Men - Of Earl and Midge The privilege - Why swagger, then? The Gnat's supremacy is large as Thine - Life - is Another Thing - So measure Wine - Naked of Flask - Naked of Cask - Bare Rhine - Which Ruby's mine?
Inconceivably solemn! Things so gay Pierce - by the very Press Of Imagery - Their far Parades - order on the eye With a mute Pomp - A pleading Pageantry -
Flags, are a brave sight - But no true Eye Ever went by One - Steadily -
Music's triumphant - But a fine Ear Winces with delight Are Drums too near.
I gave myself to Him - And took Himself, for Pay, The Solemn Contract of a Life Was ratified, this way - The Wealth might disappoint - Myself a poorer prove Than this great Purchaser suspect, The Daily Own - of Love
Depreciate the Vision - But till the Merchant buy - How Fable - in the Isles of Spice - The subtle Cargoes - lie -
At least - 'tis Mutual - Risk - Some - found it - Mutual Gain - Sweet Debt of Life - Each Night to owe - Insolvent - every Noon.
I had been hungry, all the Years - My Noon had Come - to dine - I trembling drew the Table near - And touched the Curious Wine - 'Twas this on Tables I had seen - When turning, hungry, Home I looked in Windows, for the Wealth I could not hope - for Mine -
I did not know the ample Bread - 'Twas so unlike the Crumb The Birds and I, had often shared In Nature's - Dining Room -
The Plenty hurt me - 'twas so new - Myself felt ill - and odd - As Berry - of a Mountain Bush - Transplanted - to a Road -
Nor was I hungry - so I found That Hunger - was a way Of persons Outside Windows - The entering - takes away.
The Body grows without - The more convenient way - That if the Spirit - like to hide It's Temple stands, always, Ajar - secure - inviting - It never did betray The Soul that asked it's shelter In solemn honesty.
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 - it seemed - 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 eagerness to look at Thee - Forgive me, if to stroke thy frost Outvisions Paradise!