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Astonishing drafts from poetry's most famous recluse

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Category: Life

XXV. Belshazzar Had a Letter
Life

XXV. Belshazzar Had a Letter

September 29, 2019September 29, 2019 benwdaltonLeave a comment

He made very little sense.

XXIII. ‘T Was Such a Little, Little Boat
Life

XXIII. ‘T Was Such a Little, Little Boat

August 20, 2017August 20, 2017 benwdaltonAsideLeave a comment

XXIII.

’T was such a little, little boat
That toddled down the bay!
’T was such a gallant, gallant sea
That beckoned it away!

’T was such a greedy, greedy wave
That licked it from the coast;
Nor ever guessed the stately sails
I muttered “shit, shit, it’s lost!”

 

—

Her final draft.

XXII. I Had No Time to Hate, Because
Life

XXII. I Had No Time to Hate, Because

August 6, 2017 benwdaltonLeave a comment

…well, I’m not sure why…

XXI. He Ate and Drank the Precious Words
Life

XXI. He Ate and Drank the Precious Words

August 2, 2017July 30, 2017 benwdaltonAsideLeave a comment

XXI.

He ate and drank the precious words,
His spirit grew robust;
He knew no more that he was poor,
Only that his frame was rust.
He was a car.
A dead car.

XX. I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed
Life

XX. I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed

July 30, 2017July 30, 2017 benwdaltonLeave a comment

I have very low tolerance.

XIX. Pain Has An Element of Blank
Life

XIX. Pain Has An Element of Blank

June 7, 2017June 6, 2017 benwdaltonAsideLeave a comment

XIX.

Pain has an element of blank
Plus a little oxygen
And perhaps some bronze,—
Basically all the chemical elements.

It has no other pieces but those,
In addition to a dram of bile—
And a bit of transcendentalum—
Wait—let me think more a while.

 

—

The original (as written by Dickinson).

XVIII. Read, Sweet, How Others Strove
Life

XVIII. Read, Sweet, How Others Strove

May 29, 2017May 29, 2017 benwdaltonImageLeave a comment

…till we were stouter…

XVII. When Fish Is Almost Done
Life

XVII. When Fish Is Almost Done

May 23, 2017May 22, 2017 benwdaltonLeave a comment

…and potatoes soften nicely…

XVI. To Fight With Spoons Is Very Dumb
Life

XVI. To Fight With Spoons Is Very Dumb

May 17, 2017 benwdaltonLeave a comment

…but stupider, I know…

XV. I Know Some Friendly Houses Off the Road
Life

XV. I Know Some Friendly Houses Off the Road

May 7, 2017May 6, 2017 benwdaltonLeave a comment

…a Jehovah Wittness ‘d like the look of…

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