PAPER PACKETS: For Emily Dickinson

[Pendragon]

PAPER PACKETS

She kept them bound up
in string-tied packets;
little pieces of condensed emotions,
seen by few, read by even fewer.

Just a quiet, faded flower
with an eye far beyond
the simple existence
that she had carved out for herself.

I grew up with her poetry.
It was required reading in school,
and we would often discuss just what she meant
by “Hope is the thing with feathers”.

Strange, is it not,
that all of her silent, simple life,
she kept all of her emotions in a shoe-box,
in packets tied with string,

and people couldn’t look beyond the thorns
and smell the fragrant roses
in the little paper packets---
until the author passed away…

Pendragon

[Dinkleberry2010]

Pendragon, that's the best poem about Emily Dickinson I have ever read.
it's just top-notch.

[Maryd.]

Hey Jer, see you've found Pendragon... He is a fantastic poet. Mwah to you Pen, I love this one.

[Bar22do]

It is moving, Pendragon, that you thought of devoting her a poem, and a good one! I love Emily Dickinson and the freshness of all her many-layered emotions! thanks...

[firefangled]

Pen, as usual I am popping into Lit-Net from work and fortunately my eye fell on this touching poem. This is different in tone and pace from your usual pieces. Your voice was still there in particular lines, the familiarity comforting.

I enjoyed it very much. You did Emily Dickinson proud.

[tailor STATELY]

I'll prolly (sic) be roasted for this but, big breath, here goes -

I find the poem most endearing but would have eliminated your personal touch of:

"I grew up with her poetry.
It was required reading in school,
and we would often discuss just what she meant
by “Hope is the thing with feathers”."

IMHO as a personal poem the above serves you well.

Just a passing thought from one awaiting my comeuppance.

casting the first stone
yet sinless not be I
help me dear Lord
for true repentance
for having a critical eye
- tailor STATELY 1-6-2010

[PrinceMyshkin]

There's something especially heart-warming in one poet paying unreserved tribute to another.

[Pendragon]

Thanks to all of you. As you may have figured, she is my favorite poet

[Dinkleberry2010]

Pendragon, I once saw a one-woman show about Emily Dickinson entitled The Maid Of Amherst--I can't recall who it was who portrayed Dickinson--but it consisted mainly of her reciting (that's really not the right word to use--interpreting would be a better word) a number of Dickinson's poems. It was simply wonderful to actually hear Dickinson's poems rather than merely read them. I think Dickinson is in some ways the most unique poet who has ever lived and composed.

[GypsyDream]

I think that was a really lovely tribute to Dickinson. I must agree, she was pretty unique.

[AuntShecky]

A loving and heartfelt tribute. If you don't mind a suggestion, Pen, try omitting the second and third stanzas, which, although expressive, dangerously tiptoe toward prose. Upon my second and third readings of this, I skipped those middle stanzas and read only the first
stanza and the concluding two stanzas. You know what? The remaining three stanzas make it a very powerful poem, indeed!

[JackieGinger]

I think those two stanzas should be kept, otherwise what would make it personal?
And also it adds sincerity to it, without those two it would be like a game of words, a tableau of language. My opinion...

[Father]

Excellent work here.
I love The enigma that was Emily Dickinson.
And you have inspired me to re-read her works again
thank you for this.

[tamlynn]

That's a lovely poem and tribute to Dickinson. She's one of my favorite poets. She was a woman before her time--a delicate little rose that few knew and what a pity.

[Pendragon]

The one I would consider leaving out is the middle stanza, leaving four stanzas for the poem... But it has more hits than anything I've posted for some time, so maybe better let it be!