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Emily Dickinson's Collected Poems

Part Four: Time and Eternity 99. As far from pity as complaint

ASLEEP.


As far from pity as complaint,

As cool to speech as stone,

As numb to revelation

As if my trade were bone.


As far from time as history,

As near yourself to-day

As children to the rainbow's scarf,

Or sunset's yellow play


To eyelids in the sepulchre.

How still the dancer lies,

While color's revelations break,

And blaze the butterflies!