Found Poem from a Letter by Emily Dickinson

A letter from Elizabeth Holland (Mrs. J. G. Holland) to American poet Emily Dickinson and her sister jointly, in 1877, called forth this protest. This is a found poem of mine from Emily's letter to Mrs. J. G. Holland.

A mutual plum is not a plum.

I was too respectful

to take the pulp

and do not like a stone.

Send no union letters.

The soul must go by Death alone,

so, it must by life,

if it is a soul.

If a committee --

no matter.

Source: Letters by Emily Dickinson, selected and edited by Emily Fragos (copyright 2011 by Everyman's Library) 

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

"the dark tree, the cold sea" by Emily Fragos : Poets.org

"People are curious about the you in 'the dark tree, the cold sea.' It need not be a secret. My beloved sister died young of cancer. It is she to whom I am speaking." So says American poet Emily Fragos. To read her poem "the dark tree, the cold sea" and to listen to an audio recording of her reading that poem, click here.