Dictionary Poems

Of all the souls that stand createI have elected one.When sense from spirit files away,And subterfuge is done; When that which is and that which wasApart, intrinsic, stand,And this brief tragedy of fleshIs shifted like a sand; When figures show their royal frontAnd mists are carved away, —Behold the atom I preferredTo all the lists … Continued

Once there ruled in the distant city of Wirani a king who was bothmighty and wise. And he was feared for his might and loved forhis wisdom. Now, in the heart of that city was a well, whose water was cool andcrystalline, from which all the inhabitants drank, even the kingand his courtiers; for there … Continued

Split the lark and you’ll find the music, Bulb after bulb, in silver rolled,Scantily dealt to the summer morning, Saved for your ear when lutes be old. Loose the flood, you shall find it patent, Gush after gush, reserved for you;Scarlet experiment! sceptic Thomas, Now, do you doubt that your bird was true? – LOYALTY … Continued

‘TWAS comfort in her dying roomTo hear the living clock,A short relief to have the windWalk boldly up and knock,Diversion from the dying themeTo hear the children play,But wrong, the mereThat these could live,–And This of ours must die! – ‘TWAS comfort in her dying room by Emily Dickinson

The soul selects her own society,Then shuts the door;On her divine majorityObtrude no more. Unmoved, she notes the chariot’s pausingAt her low gate;Unmoved, an emperor is kneelingUpon her mat. I’ve known her from an ample nationChoose one;Then close the valves of her attentionLike stone. – EXCLUSION – The soul selects her own society by Emily … Continued

Now finale to the shore,Now land and life finale and farewell,Now Voyager depart, (much, much for thee is yet in store,)Often enough hast thou adventur’d o’er the seas,Cautiously cruising, studying the charts,Duly again to port and hawser’s tie returning;But now obey thy cherish’d secret wish,Embrace thy friends, leave all in order,To port and hawser’s tie … Continued

Before I loved you, love, nothing was my own: I wavered through the streets, amongobjects: nothing mattered or had a name: the world was made of air, which waited. I knew rooms full of ashes, tunnels where the moon lived, rough warehouses that growled ‘get lost’, questions that insisted in the sand. Everything was empty, … Continued

I read my sentence steadily,Reviewed it with my eyes,To see that I made no mistakeIn its extremest clause, — The date, and manner of the shame;And then the pious formThat God have mercy on the soulThe jury voted him. I made my soul familiarWith her extremity,That at the last it should not beA novel agony, … Continued

Love at the lips was touchAs sweet as I could bear;And once that seemed too much;I lived on airThat crossed me from sweet things,The flow of- was it muskFrom hidden grapevine springsDown hill at dusk?I had the swirl and acheFrom sprays of honeysuckleThat when they’re gathered shakeDew on the knuckle.I craved strong sweets, but thoseSeemed … Continued

Our cowman, old Ed, hadn’t much in his head,And lots of folks though him a witling;But he wasn’t a fool, for he always kept cool,And his sole recreation was whittling.When I’d spill him my woes (ifantile, I suppose),He’d harken and whittle and whittle;then when I had done, turn his quid and say: Son,Ye’re a-drownin’ yerself … Continued