Featured Poem: After Great Pain, a Formal Feeling Comes by Emily Dickinson

For the rest of June our weekly Featured Poem will celebrate the month of Pride. We’ve chosen poems by LGBTQ+ authors that link with the meanings associated with the different colours of the Pride flag: red for ‘life’, orange for ‘healing’, yellow for ‘sunlight’, green for ‘nature’, blue for ‘art’, violet for ‘spirit’.

Today’s choice for 'healing' is ‘After Great Pain, a Formal Feeling Comes’ by Emily Dickinson.

After Great Pain, a Formal Feeling Comes

After great pain, a formal feeling comes--

The Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs--

The stiff Heart questions was it He, that bore,

And Yesterday, or Centuries before?

The Feet, mechanical, go round--

Of Ground, or Air, or Ought--

A Wooden way

Regardless grown,

A Quartz contentment, like a stone--

This is the Hour of Lead--

Remembered, if outlived,

As Freezing persons recollect the Snow--

First--Chill--then Stupor--then the letting go--

by Emily Dickinson