Boundaries of pain

You left me boundaries of pain
Capacious as the sea,
Between eternity and time,
Your consciousness and me.

From Bequest, Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886)

Pleasure first

The heart asks pleasure first,
And then, excuse from pain ;
And then, those little anodynes
That deaden suffering.

From The Heart asks Pleasure first, Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886)

If I can stop one heart from breaking

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain ;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

If I can stop one Heart from breaking, Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886)

To know the worst is sweet

Life is but life, and death but death !
Bliss is but bliss and breath but breath !
And if, indeed, I fail,
At least to know the worst is sweet.
Defeat means nothing but defeat.

From ‘Tis so much joy! ‘Tis so much joy!, Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886)

Our blank in bliss to fill

Our share of night to bear,
Our share of morning,
Our blank in bliss to fill,
Our blank in scorning.

From Our share of night to bear, Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886)