Emily Dickinson (1830–86). Complete Poems. 1924. |
Part Four: Time and Eternity
XX
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| THE LAST night that she lived, | |
| It was a common night, | |
| Except the dying; this to us | |
| Made nature different. | |
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| We noticed smallest things,— | 5 |
| Things overlooked before, | |
| By this great light upon our minds | |
| Italicized, as ’t were. | |
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| That others could exist | |
| While she must finish quite, | 10 |
| A jealousy for her arose | |
| So nearly infinite. | |
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| We waited while she passed; | |
| It was a narrow time, | |
| Too jostled were our souls to speak, | 15 |
| At length the notice came. | |
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| She mentioned, and forgot; | |
| Then lightly as a reed | |
| Bent to the water, shivered scarce, | |
| Consented, and was dead. | 20 |
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| And we, we placed the hair, | |
| And drew the head erect; | |
| And then an awful leisure was, | |
| Our faith to regulate. | |
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