No Man can compass a Despair -
As round a Goalless Road
No faster than a Mile at once
The Traveller proceed -
Unconscious of the Width -
Unconscious that the Sun
Be setting on His progress -
So accurate the one
At estimating Pain -
Whose own - has just begun -
His ignorance - the Angel
That pilot Him along.
I meant to have but modest needs -
Such as Content - and Heaven -
Within my income - these could lie
And Life and I - keep even -
But since the last - included both -
It would suffice my Prayer
But just for One - to stipulate -
And Grace would grant the Pair -
And so - upon this wise - I prayed -
Great Spirit - Give to me
A Heaven not so large as Your's,
But large enough - for me -
A Smile suffused Jehovah's face -
The Cherubim - withdrew -
Grave Saints stole out to look at me -
And showed their dimples - too -
I left the Place - with all my might -
I threw my Prayer away -
The Quiet Ages picked it up -
And Judgment - twinkled - too -
That one so honest - be extant -
It take the Tale for true -
That "Whatsoever Ye shall ask -
Itself be given You" -
But I, grown shrewder - scan the Skies
With a suspicious Air -
As Children - swindled for the first
All Swindlers - be - infer.
Doom is the House without the Door -
'Tis entered from the Sun -
And then the Ladder's thrown away,
Because Escape - is done -
'Tis varied by the Dream
Of what they do outside -
Where Squirrels play - and Berries dye -
And Hemlocks - bow - to God.
They put Us far apart -
As separate as Sea
And Her unsown Peninsula -
We signified "These see" -
They took away our Eyes -
They thwarted Us with Guns -
"I see Thee" each responded straight
Through Telegraphic Signs -
With Dungeons - They devised -
But through their thickest skill -
And their opaquest Adamant -
Our Souls saw - just as well -
They summoned Us to die -
With sweet alacrity
We stood upon our stapled feet -
Condemned - but just - to see -
Permission to recant -
Permission to forget -
We turned our backs upon the Sun
For perjury of that -
Not Either - noticed Death -
Of Paradise - aware -
Each other's Face - was all the Disc
Each other's setting - saw.
I am ashamed - I hide -
What right have I - to be a Bride -
So late a Dowerless Girl -
Nowhere to hide my dazzled Face -
No one to teach me that new Grace -
Nor introduce - my Soul -
Me to adorn - How - tell -
Trinket - to make Me beautiful -
Fabrics of Cashmere -
Never a Gown of Dun - more -
Raiment instead - of Pompadour -
For Me - My Soul - to wear -
Fingers - to frame my Round Hair
Oval - as Feudal Ladies wore -
Far Fashions - Fair -
Skill to hold my Brow like an Earl -
Plead - like a Whippowil -
Prove - like a Pearl -
Then, for Character -
Fashion My Spirit quaint - white -
Quick - like a Liquor -
Gay - like Light -
Bring Me my best Pride -
No more ashamed -
No more to hide -
Meek - let it be - too proud - for Pride -
Baptized - this Day - a Bride.
Except the Heaven had come so near -
So seemed to choose My Door -
The Distance would not haunt me so -
I had not hoped - before -
But just to hear the Grace depart -
I never thought to see -
Afflicts me with a Double loss -
'Tis lost - and lost to me.
A Night - there lay the Days between -
The Day that was Before -
And Day that was Behind - were One -
And now - 'twas Night - was here -
Slow - Night - that must be watched away -
As Grains upon a shore -
Too imperceptible to note -
Till it be Night - no more.
I am alive - I guess -
The Branches on my Hand
Are full of Morning Glory -
And at my finger's end -
The Carmine - tingles warm -
And if I hold a Glass
Across my Mouth - it blurs it -
Physician's - proof of Breath -
I am alive - because
I am not in a Room -
The Parlor - Commonly - it is -
So Visitors may come -
And lean - and view it sidewise -
And add "How cold - it grew" -
And "Was it conscious - when it stepped
In Immortality? "
I am alive - because
I do not own a House -
Entitled to myself - precise -
And fitting no one else -
And marked my Girlhood's name -
So Visitors may know
Which Door is mine - and not not mistake -
And try another Key -
How good - to be alive!
How infinite - to be
Alive - two-fold - The Birth I had -
And this - besides, in Thee!
The Red - Blaze - is the Morning -
The Violet - is Noon -
The Yellow - Day - is falling -
And after that - is None -
But Miles of Sparks - at Evening -
Reveal the Width that burned -
The Territory Argent - that never yet - consumed.
A Wife - at Daybreak - I shall be -
Sunrise - Hast Thou a Flag for me?
At Midnight - I am yet a Maid -
How short it takes to make it Bride -
Then - Midnight - I have passed from Thee -
Unto the East - and Victory.
Midnight - Good Night - I hear them Call -
The Angels bustle in the Hall -
Softly - my Future climbs the Stair -
I fumble at my Childhood's Prayer -
So soon to be a Child - no more -
Eternity - I'm coming - Sir -
Master - I've seen the Face - before.