Emily Dickinson – CXVII – I HAVE a king who does not speak

(117)


I HAVE a king who does not speak;
So, wondering, thro’ the hours meek
   I trudge the day away,—
Half glad when it is night and sleep,
If, haply, thro’ a dream to peep
   In parlors shut by day.

 

And if I do, when morning comes,
It is as if a hundred drums
   Did round my pillow roll,
And shouts fill all my childish sky,
And bells keep saying “victory”
   From steeples in my soul!

 

And if I don’t, the little Bird
Within the Orchard is not heard,
   And I omit to pray,
“Father, thy will be done” to-day,
For my will goes the other way,
   And it were perjury!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *