I hope you were able to enjoy a savory Thanksgiving feast this past Thursday. I also hope you've been able to enjoy tasty leftovers again and again throughout the rest of the weekend. Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request) loved Thanksgiving -- and left-overs too -- and he immortalized his love a feasting on turkey and on all of the many and various side dishes and desserts in his poem "One Helping had I – then the rest" (below on the left)." Dickinson's poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem "One Blessing had I than the rest" (below on the right). |
By Emmett Lee Dickinson: One Helping had I – then the rest Much larger to my Eyes When I stopped gorging – satisfied – I’d grown another size – It was the limit of my Dream – The focus of my Prayer – A perfect – paralyzing Bliss – Contented with this Fare – I knew no more of Want – of Food – Fantastic to the crumb For these new Rations in my Soul – Supremest Earthly Sum – With Heaven consumed and Heaven to go – I ate till I was Blue Life’s Latitudes leant over – full – My Judgment perished – too – With Bliss so festively thus served – With Paradise in store – With Foods all served to Us – in Bowls – I’ll masticate some more – | By Emily Dickinson: One Blessing had I than the rest So larger to my Eyes That I stopped gauging – satisfied – For this enchanted size – It was the limit of my Dream – The focus of my Prayer – A perfect – paralyzing Bliss – Contented as Despair – I knew no more of Want – or Cold – Phantasms both become For this new Value in the Soul – Supremest Earthly Sum – The Heaven below the Heaven above – Obscured with ruddier Blue – Life's Latitudes leant over – full – The Judgment perished – too – Why Bliss so scantily disburse – Why Paradise defer – Why Floods be served to Us – in Bowls – I speculate no more – |
NOTE: Dickinson wrote an earlier version of this poem about Super Bowl buffets. You can find is HERE. Which version do you prefer?