The Poems of Emily Dickinson, Variorum Edition, Franklin, 1998
Emily Dickinson Archive
I prayed, at first, a little Girl,Because they told me to - But stopped, when qualified to guess How prayer would feel - to me - If Isupposed believed God looked around,Each time my Childish eye Fixed full, and steady, on his own Insolemn - Childish honesty - And told him what I'd like, today, And parts of his far planThat baffled me - Theunder - • further mingled side Of his Divinity -And often since, in Danger, I count the force 'twould beTo have a God so strong as that To holdthe light my life for me Till I couldCatch my take the Balance Thatslips so easy tips so frequent, now, It takes me all the while to poise -It is'nt steady - tho' -And then - it does'nt stay -