For Emily

This poem was written for a contest about Emily Dickinson

Because she watched so passively

alone within a room

Because she counted butterflies

studied until the gloom

of twilight hushed upon her house.

Because she stood quite motionless

in thrall of any ant or mouse

whose world she might imagine

to explore. She struck hope

in a candle's light, dreamed

Death beyond her door.

Reviews

[Tim McGovern]

Those first two lines feel so familiar rhythmically, that meter we all first hear and write to, then the rest of the poem you deliberately ( I assume) smash it like a frozen Charleston Chew in hunks that have to be eaten slowly.
It's a great trick, which pissed me off on the first read, but slowed me down to enjoy on all subsequent ones.

You say so much with simple words, you don't " show" as someone said you should do, you invite
Beautiful work shemeh

Namaste'

[Charles Sapp II]

The simplistic nature of this poem, echoes a faint whisper long after I've read it. "Because" offers a reflective position as an after-effect. With some of my favorite artist's, their work clearly deserves a re-read to further punctuate the key points in their message. I've found that within this piece and without all of the verbal dressing. Excellent work!