This Quiet Dust Was Gentlemen and Ladies, by Emily Dickinson

This Quiet Dust Was Gentlemen and Ladies

This quiet dust was gentlemen and ladies

And lads and girls;

Was laughter and ability and sighing,

And frocks and curls;

This passive place a summer’s nimble mansion,

Where bloom and bees

Fulfilled their oriental circuit,

Then ceased like these.

954 The Chemical conviction That Nought be lost Enable in Disaster My fractured Trust—

397 When Diamonds are a Legend, And Diadems—a Tale— I Brooch and Earrings for Myself… Do sow, and Raise for sale—

Drowning is not so pitiful As the attempt to rise. Three times, 't is said, a sinking… Comes up to face the skies, And then declines forever

806 A Planted Life—diversified With Gold and Silver Pain To prove the presence of the Ore In Particles—'tis when

253 You see I cannot see—your lifetim… I must guess— How many times it ache for me—toda… How many times for my far sake

There is no Silence in the Earth… As that endured Which uttered, would discourage N… And haunt the World.

824 [first version] The Wind begun to knead the Grass… As Women do a Dough— He flung a Hand full at the Plain…

466 ’Tis little I—could care for Pear… Who own the ample sea— Or Brooches—when the Emperor— With Rubies—pelteth me—

A Sickness of this World it most… When Best Men die. A Wishfulness their far Condition To occupy. A Chief indifference, as Foreign

39 It did not surprise me— So I said—or thought— She will stir her pinions And the nest forgot,

A bird came down the walk: He did not know I saw; He bit an angle-worm in halves And ate the fellow, raw. And then he drank a dew

I had no time to hate, because The grave would hinder me, And life was not so ample I Could finish enmity. Nor had I time to love, but since

667 Bloom upon the Mountain’—stated’— Blameless of a Name’— Efflorescence of a Sunset’— Reproduced’—the same’—

312 Her—last Poems— Poets ended— Silver—perished—with her Tongue— Not on Record—bubbled Other,

871 The Sun and Moon must make their… The Stars express around For in the Zones of Paradise The Lord alone is burned—