Free Bereavement Verses

After great pain, a formal feeling comes -
The Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs -
The stiff Heart questions 'was it He, that bore,'
And 'Yesterday, or Centuries before'?

The Feet, mechanical, go round -
A Wooden way
Of Ground, or Air, or Ought -
Regardless grown,
A Quartz contentment, like a stone -

This is the Hour of Lead -
Remembered, if outlived,
As Freezing persons, recollect the Snow -
First - Chill - then Stupor - then the letting go -

"Tis not that Dying hurts us so -
'Tis Living - hurts us more -
But dying - is a different way-
A kind behind the Door -

The Southern Custom - of the Bird -
That ere the Frosts are due -
Accepts a better Latitude -
We - are the Birds - that stay.

The Shiverers round Farmer's doors -
For whose reluctant Crumb -
We stipulate - till pitying Snows
Persuade our Feathers Home

"One Anguish - in a Crowd -
A minor thing - it sounds -
And yet, unto the single Doe
Attempted - of the Hounds

'Tis Terror as consummate
As Legions of Alarm
Did leap, full flanked, opon the Host -
'Tis Units - make the Swarm -

A small Leech - on the Vitals -
The sliver, in the Lung -
The Bung out - of an Artery -
Are scarce accounted - Harms -

Yet mighty - by the relation
To that Repealless thing -
A Being - impotent to end -
When once it has begun -

A not admitting of the wound
Until it grew so wide
That all my Life had entered it
And there were troughts beside -

A closing of the simple lid that opened to the sun
Until the tender Carpenter
Perpetual nail it down -

We miss Her (Him) - not because We see -
The Absence of an Eye -
Except it's Mind accompany -
Deprive Society

As slightly as the Routes of Stars -
Ourselves - asleep below -
We know that their superior Eyes
Include Us - as they go -

We grow accustomed to the Dark -
When Light is put away -
As when the Neighbor holds the Lamp
To witness her Good bye -

A Moment - We uncertain step -
For newness of the night -
Then - fit our Vision to the Dark-
And meet the Road - erect -

And so of larger - Darknesses -
Those Evenings of the Brain -
When not a Moon disclose a sign -
Or Star - come out - within -

The Bravest - grope a little -
And sometimes hit a Tree
Directly in the Forehead -
But as they learn to see -

Either the Darkness alters -
Or something in the sight
Adjusts itself to Midnight -
And Life steps almost straight.

We cover Thee - Sweet Face -
Not that We tire of Thee -
But that Thyself fatigue of Us -
Remember - as Thou go -
We follow Thee until
Thou notice Us - no more -
And then - reluctant - turn away
To Con Thee o'er and o'er -

And blame the scanty love
We were Content to show -
Augmented - Sweet - a Hundred fold -
If Thou would take it - now

A great Hope fell
You heard no noise
The Ruin was within
Oh cunning Wreck
That told no Tale
And let no Witness in

The mind was built for mighty Freight
For dread occasion planned
How often foundering at Sea
Ostensibly, on Land

Not all die early, dying young -
Maturity of Fate
Is consummated equally
In Ages, or a Night

A Hoary Boy, I've known to drop
Whole statured - by the side
Of Junior of Fourscore - 'twas Act
Not Period - that died.

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 Turle will not try
Unless you leave him - then return -
And he has hauled away.

Step lightly on this narrow Spot -
The Broadest Land that grows
Is not so ample as the Breast
These Emerald Seams enclose -

Step lofty for this name be told
As far as cannon dwell,
Or Flag subsist, or fame export
Her deathless Syllable

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