A poem of draining life
was Dickinson's delight.
She once wrote,
A poem is a poem if
hearing it
makes all strength to leave;
& puts our nature in a freeze,
like removing the cranial cap
with an emotional thunderclap.

One day I heard such a poem,
like nothing heard before,
chilling my blood and bone.
Sliced to the very core.

Silenced to a statue,
I had to pull off the road,
it suggested Emily's test
how she loved death's ode
the best.
No contrivance at our last
just a grim theme--
a gurgling scream..........

1.4