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 no more Eyes For sordid excellence⁺ ⁺consequence 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⁺ – ⁺Exercise, Privilege Despair –
[F706/J640, §33, 1863]
[Emily Elizabeth Dickinson, 10 December 1830–15 May 1886]
