96 I FELT A FUNERAL IN MY BRAIN

By Emily Dickinson

I felt a funeral in my brain，

And mourners，to and fro，

Kept treading，treading，till it seemed

That sense was breaking through．

And when they all were seated，

A service like a drum

Kept beating，beating，till I thought

My mind was going numb．

And then I heard them lift a box，

And creak across my soul

With those same boots of lead，again．

Then space began to toll

As all the heavens were a bell，

And Being but an ear，

And I and silence some strange race，

Wrecked，solitary，here．