A Collection
Poems for the small good.
Mary Oliver
You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on.
Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī
This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they're a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
Emily Dickinson
Not at Home to Callers Says the Naked Tree -- Bonnet due in April -- Wishing you Good Day --
Emily Dickinson
The words the happy say Are paltry melody But those the silent feel Are beautiful --
Emily Dickinson
Summer begins to have the look Peruser of enchanting Book Reluctantly but sure perceives A gain upon the backward leaves -- Autumn begins to be inferred By millinery of the cloud Or deeper color in the shawl That wraps the everlasting hill. The eye begins its avarice A meditation chastens speech Some Dyer of a distant tree Resumes his gaudy industry. Conclusion is the course of All At most to be perennial And then elude stability Recalls to immortality.
Emily Dickinson
The Life we have is very great. The Life that we shall see Surpasses it, we know, because It is Infinity. But when all Space has been beheld And all Dominion shown The smallest Human Heart's extent Reduces it to none.
Emily Dickinson
Could Hope inspect her Basis Her Craft were done -- Has a fictitious Charter Or it has none -- Balked in the vastest instance But to renew -- Felled by but one assassin -- Prosperity --
Emily Dickinson
Success is counted sweetest By those who ne'er succeed. To comprehend a nectar Requires sorest need. Not one of all the purple Host Who took the Flag today Can tell the definition So clear of Victory As he defeated -- dying -- On whose forbidden ear The distant strains of triumph Burst agonized and clear!
Emily Dickinson
I Years had been from Home And now before the Door I dared not enter, lest a Face I never saw before Stare solid into mine And ask my Business there -- "My Business but a Life I left Was such remaining there?" I leaned upon the Awe -- I lingered with Before -- The Second like an Ocean rolled And broke against my ear -- I laughed a crumbling Laugh That I could fear a Door Who Consternation compassed And never winced before. I fitted to the Latch My Hand, with trembling care Lest back the awful Door should spring And leave me in the Floor -- Then moved my Fingers off As cautiously as Glass And held my ears, and like a Thief Fled gasping from the House --
Emily Dickinson
Musicians wrestle everywhere -- All day -- among the crowded air I hear the silver strife -- And -- walking -- long before the morn -- Such transport breaks upon the town I think it that "New Life"! If is not Bird -- it has no nest -- Nor "Band" -- in brass and scarlet -- drest -- Nor Tamborin -- nor Man -- It is not Hymn from pulpit read -- The "Morning Stars" the Treble led On Time's first Afternoon! Some -- say -- it is "the Spheres" -- at play! Some say that bright Majority Of vanished Dames -- and Men! Some -- think it service in the place Where we -- with late -- celestial face -- Please God -- shall Ascertain!
Emily Dickinson
Where Thou art -- that -- is Home -- Cashmere -- or Calvary -- the same -- Degree -- or Shame -- I scarce esteem Location's Name -- So I may Come -- What Thou dost -- is Delight -- Bondage as Play -- be sweet -- Imprisonment -- Content -- And Sentence -- Sacrament -- Just We two -- meet -- Where Thou art not -- is Woe -- Tho' Bands of Spices -- row -- What Thou dost not -- Despair -- Tho' Gabriel -- praise me -- Sire --
Emily Dickinson
The name -- of it -- is "Autumn" -- The hue -- of it -- is Blood -- An Artery -- upon the Hill -- A Vein -- along the Road -- Great Globules -- in the Alleys -- And Oh, the Shower of Stain -- When Winds -- upset the Basin -- And spill the Scarlet Rain -- It sprinkles Bonnets -- far below -- It gathers ruddy Pools -- Then -- eddies like a Rose -- away -- Upon Vermilion Wheels --
Emily Dickinson
A Wind that rose Though not a Leaf In any Forest stirred But with itself did cold engage Beyond the Realm of Bird -- A Wind that woke a lone Delight Like Separation's Swell Restored in Arctic Confidence To the Invisible --
Emily Dickinson
No Romance sold unto Could so enthrall a Man As the perusal of His Individual One -- 'Tis Fiction's -- When 'tis small enough To Credit -- 'Tisn't true!
Emily Dickinson
How know it from a Summer's Day? Its Fervors are as firm -- And nothing in the Countenance But scintillates the same -- Yet Birds examine it and flee -- And Vans without a name Inspect the Admonition And sunder as they came --
Emily Dickinson
Remorse -- is Memory -- awake -- Her Parties all astir -- A Presence of Departed Acts -- At window -- and at Door -- Its Past -- set down before the Soul And lighted with a Match -- Perusal -- to facilitate -- And help Belief to stretch -- Remorse is cureless -- the Disease Not even God -- can heal -- For 'tis His institution -- and The Adequate of Hell --
Emily Dickinson
There is a flower that Bees prefer -- And Butterflies -- desire -- To gain the Purple Democrat The Humming Bird -- aspire -- And Whatsoever Insect pass -- A Honey bear away Proportioned to his several dearth And her -- capacity -- Her face be rounder than the Moon And ruddier than the Gown Or Orchis in the Pasture -- Or Rhododendron -- worn -- She doth not wait for June -- Before the World be Green -- Her sturdy little Countenance Against the Wind -- be seen -- Contending with the Grass -- Near Kinsman to Herself -- For Privilege of Sod and Sun -- Sweet Litigants for Life -- And when the Hills be full -- And newer fashions blow -- Doth not retract a single spice For pang of jealousy -- Her Public -- be the Noon -- Her Providence -- the Sun -- Her Progress -- by the Bee -- proclaimed -- In sovereign -- Swerveless Tune -- The Bravest -- of the Host -- Surrendering -- the last -- Nor even of Defeat -- aware -- What cancelled by the Frost --
Emily Dickinson
Twice had Summer her fair Verdure Proffered to the Plain -- Twice a Winter's silver Fracture On the Rivers been -- Two full Autumns for the Squirrel Bounteous prepared -- Nature, Had'st thou not a Berry For thy wandering Bird?
Emily Dickinson
One Year ago -- jots what? God -- spell the word! I -- can't -- Was't Grace? Not that -- Was't Glory? That -- will do -- Spell slower -- Glory -- Such Anniversary shall be --
Emily Dickinson
She's happy, with a new Content -- That feels to her -- like Sacrament -- She's busy -- with an altered Care -- As just apprenticed to the Air -- She's tearful -- if she weep at all -- For blissful Causes -- Most of all That Heaven permit so meek as her -- To such a Fate -- to Minister.
Emily Dickinson
The One who could repeat the Summer day -- Were greater than itself -- though He Minutest of Mankind should be -- And He -- could reproduce the Sun -- At period of going down -- The Lingering -- and the Stain -- I mean -- When Orient have been outgrown And Occident -- become Unknown -- His Name -- remain --
Emily Dickinson
I many times thought Peace had come When Peace was far away -- As Wrecked Men -- deem they sight the Land -- At Centre of the Sea -- And struggle slacker -- but to prove As hopelessly as I -- How many the fictitious Shores -- Before the Harbor be --
Emily Dickinson
So much of Heaven has gone from Earth That there must be a Heaven If only to enclose the Saints To Affidavit given. The Missionary to the Mole Must prove there is a Sky Location doubtless he would plead But what excuse have I? Too much of Proof affronts Belief The Turtle will not try Unless you leave him -- then return And he has hauled away.
Emily Dickinson
The Fact that Earth is Heaven -- Whether Heaven is Heaven or not If not an Affidavit Of that specific Spot Not only must confirm us That it is not for us But that it would affront us To dwell in such a place --