by Emily Dickinson
215
What is-"Paradise"-
Who live there-
Are they "Farmers"-
Do they "hoe"-
Do they know that this is "Amherst"-
And that I-am coming-too-
Do they wear "new shoes"-in "Eden"-
Is it always pleasant-there-
Won't they scold us-when we're homesick-
Or tell God-how cross we are-
You are sure there's such a person
As "a Father"-in the sky-
So if I get lost-there-ever-
Or do what the Nurse calls "die"-
I shan't walk the "Jasper"-barefoot-
Ransomed folks-won't laugh at me-
Maybe-"Eden" a'n't so lonesome
As New England used to be!
Last updated June 21, 2015