Dictionary Poems

THE Winds drew offLike hungry dogsDefeated of a bone.Through fissures inVolcanic cloudThe yellow lightning shown.The trees held upTheir mangled limbsLike animals in pain,When Nature fallsUpon herself,Beware an Austrian! – THE Winds drew off by Emily Dickinson

Thousands of sheep, soft-footed, black-nosed sheep–one by one going up the hill and over the fence–one byone four-footed pattering up and over–one by one wigglingtheir stub tails as they take the short jump and goover–one by one silently unless for the multitudinousdrumming of their hoofs as they move on and go over–thousands and thousands of … Continued

A dew sufficed itself And satisfied a leaf,And felt, ‘how vast a destiny! How trivial is life!’ The sun went out to work, The day went out to play,But not again that dew was seen By physiognomy. Whether by day abducted, Or emptied by the sunInto the sea, in passing, Eternally unknown. – A dew … Continued

It was a long time ago.I have almost forgotten my dream.But it was there then,In front of me,Bright like a sun–My dream.And then the wall rose,Rose slowly,Slowly,Between me and my dream.Rose until it touched the sky–The wall.Shadow.I am black.I lie down in the shadow.No longer the light of my dream before me,Above me.Only the thick … Continued

When I peruse the conquer’d fame of heroes and the victories of mighty generals, I do not envy the generals,Nor the President in his Presidency, nor the rich in his great house,But when I hear of the brotherhood of lovers, how it was with them,How together through life, through dangers, odium, unchanging, long and long,Through … Continued

After waking at dawn one morning when the wind sang low among dry leaves in an elm AMONG the red guns,In the hearts of soldiersRunning free bloodIn the long, long campaign: Dreams go on. Among the leather saddles,In the heads of soldiersHeavy in the wracks and killsOf all straight fighting: Dreams go on. Among the … Continued

Do not stand at my grave and weep,I am not there, I do not sleep.I am in a thousand winds that blow,I am the softly falling snow.I am the gentle showers of rain,I am the fields of ripening grain.I am in the morning hush,I am in the graceful rushOf beautiful birds in circling flight,I am … Continued

To learn the transport by the pain,As blind men learn the sun;To die of thirst, suspectingThat brooks in meadows run; To stay the homesick, homesick feetUpon a foreign shoreHaunted by native lands, the while,And blue, beloved air — This is the sovereign anguish,This, the signal woe!These are the patient laureatesWhose voices, trained below, Ascend in … Continued

After the sea-ship, after the whistling winds,After the white-gray sails taut to their spars and ropes,Below, a myriad myriad waves hastening, lifting up their necks,Tending in ceaseless flow toward the track of the ship,Waves of the ocean bubbling and gurgling, blithely prying,Waves, undulating waves, liquid, uneven, emulous waves,Toward that whirling current, laughing and buoyant, with … Continued

When your marrer bone seems ‘oller,And you’re glad you ain’t no taller, And you’re all a-shakin’ like you ‘ad the chills;When your skin creeps like a pullet’s,And you’re duckin’ all the bullets, And you’re green as gorgonzola round the gills;When your legs seem made of jelly,And you’re squeamish in the belly, And you want to … Continued