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470 I am alive - I guess The Branches on my Hand Are full of Morning Glory And at my finger's end The Carmine - tingles warm And if I hold a Glass Across my Mouth - it blurs it Physician's - proof of Breath

I am alive - because I am not in a Room The Parlor - Commonly - it is So Visitors may come And lean - and view it sidewise And add " How cold - it grew" And " Was it conscious - when it stepped In Immortality? "

I am alive - because I do not own a House Entitled to myself - precise And fitting to no one else

And marked my Girlhood's name So Visitors may know Which Door is mine - and not mistake And try another Key

How good-to be alive! How infinite to be Alive -- two-fold -The Birth I had -And this -- besides, in -- Thee!

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510 It was not Death, for I stood up, And all the Dead, lie down It was not Night, for all the Bells Put out their Tongues, for Noon.

It was not Frost, for on my Flesh I felt Siroccos - crawl Nor Fire - for just my Marble feet Could keep a Chancel, cool

And yet it tasted, like them all, The Figures I have seen Set orderly, for Burial, Reminded me, of mine

As if my life were shaven, And fitted to a frame, And could not breathe without a key, And "t was like Midnight, some

When everything that ticked-has stoppedAnd Space stares all around Or Grisly frosts- first Autumn morns, Repeal the Beating Ground

But most, like Chaos -- Stopless - cool Without a Chance, or Spar Or even a Report of Land To justify - Despair.

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540 I Took my Power in my HandAnd went against the World 'T was not so much as David -- hadBut I was twice as bold

I aimed my Pebble - but Myself Was all the one that fellWas it Goliaf - was too largeOr was myself - too small?

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543 I fear a Man of frugal SpeechI fear a Silent ManHaranguer - I can overtake Or Babbler - entertain

But He who weigheth - While the RestExpend their furthest poundOf this Man - I am waryI fear that He is Grand.

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619 Glee - the great storm is over Four - have recovered the Land Forty - gone down together Into the boiling Sand

Ring - for the Scant Salvation Toll - for the bonnie Souls Neighbor - and friend - and Bridegroom, Spinning upon the Shoals

How they will tell the StoryWhen Winter shake the Door Till the Children urge - But the Forty Did they - come back no more?

Then a softness - suffuses the Story And a silence - the Teller's eye And the Children - no further question And only the Sea - reply

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621 I asked no other thing No other - was denied I offered Being - for it The Mighty Merchant sneered

Brazil? He twirled a Button Without a glance my way " But - Madam - is there nothing else That We can show - Today? "

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657 I dwell in Possibility A fairer House than Prose More numerous of Windows Superior - for Doors

Of Chambers as the Cedars Impregnable of Eye And for an Everlasting Roof The Gambrels of the Sky

Of Visitors - the fairest For Occupation - This The spreading wide my narrow Hands To gather Paradise

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680 Each Life Converges to some Centre Expressed - or still Exists in every Human Nature A Goal

Embodied scarcely to itself- it may beToo fair For Credibility's presumption To mar

Adored with caution- as a Brittle HeavenTo reach Were hopeless Rainbow's Raiment To touch

Yet persevered toward

sure- for the distance; How highUnto the Saints" slow diligenceThe Sky

Ungained- it may be

by a Life's low VentureBut then Eternity enables the endeavoring Again.

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686 They say that "Time assuages"

Time never did assuageAn actual suffering strengthens

As Sinews do, with age

Time is a Test of Trouble,

But not a RemedyIf such it prove, it prove too

There was no Malady

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712 Because I could not stop for DeathHe kindly stopped for meThe Carriage held but just OurselvesAnd Immortality.

We slowly drove - He knew no haste And I had put away My labor, and my leisure too, For His Civility

We passed the School where Children strove At Recess - in the RingWe passed the Fields of Gazing Grain We passed the Setting Sun

Or rather -- He passed UsThe Dews drew quivering and chillFor only Gossamer, my GownMy Tippet -- only Tulle

We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the GroundThe Roof was scarcely visibleThe Cornice -- in the Ground

Since then - "t is Centuries-and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses" Heads Were toward Eternity

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875 I stepped from Plank to Plank A slow and cautious way The Stars about my Head I felt About my Feet the Sea.

I knew not but the next Would be my final inch This gave me that precarious Gait Some call Experience.

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887 We outgrow love like other things And put it in the Drawer Till it an Antique fashion shows Like Costumes Grandsires wore.

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919 If I can stop one Heart from breaking I shall not live in vain If I can ease one Life the Aching, Or cool one Pain, Or help one fainting Robin Unto his Nest again, I shall not live in Vain.

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