A daily poem from the complete works of Emily Dickinson.
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Not probable — The barest Chance –
A smile too few — a word too much
And far from Heaven as the Rest –
The Soul so close on Paradise –
What if the Bird from journey far –
Confused by Sweets — as Mortals — are –
Forget the secret of His wing
And perish — but a Bough between –
Oh, Groping feet –
Oh Phantom Queen!
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Tags: barest, between, bird, bough, chance, close, confused, far, feet, few, forget, groping, heaven, journey, mortals, much, paradise, perish, phantom, probable, queen, rest, secret, smile, soul, sweets, wing, word
A fuzzy fellow, without feet,
Yet doth exceeding run!
Of velvet, is his Countenance,
And his Complexion, dun!
Sometime, he dwelleth in the grass!
Sometime, upon a bough,
From which he doth descend in plush
Upon the Passer-by!
All this in summer.
But when winds alarm the Forest Folk,
He taketh Damask Residence –
And struts in sewing silk!
Then, finer than a Lady,
Emerges in the spring!
A Feather on each shoulder!
You’d scarce recognize him!
By Men, yclept Caterpillar!
By me! But who am I,
To tell the pretty secret
Of the Butterfly!
Tags: all, befall, bells, bliss, breath, conjectured, death, defeat, different, drearier, extinguish, fail, gain, gained, gun, heaven, hesitated, joy, Life, much, nothing, poor, poverty, repeat, sea, slow, steeples, sudden, sweet, thing, throw, ventured, victory, waked, yes
‘Tis so much joy! ‘Tis so much joy!
If I should fail, what poverty!
And yet, as poor as I,
Have ventured all upon a throw!
Have gained! Yes! Hesitated so –
This side the Victory!
Life is but Life! And Death, but Death!
Bliss is, but Bliss, and Breath but Breath!
And if indeed I fail,
At least, to know the worst, is sweet!
Defeat means nothing but Defeat,
No drearier, can befall!
And if I gain! Oh Gun at Sea!
Oh Bells, that in the Steeples be!
At first, repeat it slow!
For Heaven is a different thing,
Conjectured, and waked sudden in –
And might extinguish me!
Tags: all, befall, bells, bliss, breath, conjectured, death, defeat, different, drearier, extinguish, fail, gain, gained, gun, heaven, hesitated, joy, Life, much, nothing, poor, poverty, repeat, sea, slow, steeples, sudden, sweet, thing, throw, ventured, victory, waked, yes
