Poems 'I cannot live with You' by Emily Dickinson
I cannot live with You -
It would be Life -
And Life is over there -
Behind the Shelf
The Sexton keeps the Key to -
Putting up
Our Life – His porcelain -
Like a Cup -
Discarded of the Housewife -
Quaint – or Broke -
A newer Sevres pleases -
Old Ones crack -
I could not die- with You -
For One must wait
To shut the Other’s Gaze down -
You – could not -
And I – Could I stand by
And see You – freeze -
Without my Right of Frost -
Death’s privilege?
Nor could I rise – with You -
Because Your Face
Would put out Jesus’ -
That New Grace
Glow plain – and foreign
On my homesick Eye -
Except that You than He
Shone closer by -
They’d judge Us – How -
For You – served Heaven – You know,
Or sought to -
I could not -
Because You saturated Sight -
And I had not more Eyes
For sordid excellence
As Paradise
And were You lost, I would be -
Though My Name
Rang loudest
On the Heavenly fame -
And were You – saved -
And I – condemned to be
Where You were not -
That self – were Hell to Me -
So We must meet apart -
You there – I – here -
With just the Door ajar
That Oceans are – and Prayer -
And that White Sustenance -
Despair -