Emily Starts, You Finish [by David Lehman]

Here is Emily Dickinson's # 1066 in its entirety:

Fame's Boys and Girls, who never die
And are too seldom born --

While this can be read as a complete work, you may argue that it represents the beginning of a poem that Dickinson intended to finish but never did. You now have the chance to add lines to the poem -- as few as two as many as ten -- to bring it to completion. What do you write?

-- DL

Comments

[Rachel's Friend]

For me, the line "who never die" has a note of horror to it. No exit. Not a good thing. So, I finish the poem thusly:

Fame's Boys and Girls, who never die
And are too seldom born –
Endure a lone Eternity
Of longing for the Tomb –

With all apologies to Saint Emily.

[DL]

I like it! Thank you very much, Rachel's friend.

[Hg]

I'm no poet, but this looked like fun. I took a similar view to Rachel's Friend, but felt it more personally...

Fame's Boys and Girls, who never die
And are too seldom born,
Are rare creatures: gold nuggets panned
From a river of dirt.

But who wants immortality?
A gilded brooch to wear
On a preening cocktail dress breast
Twice, thrice a year at most,

A butterfly pinned for show? No,
I'll float in the water,
Swept downstream with everyone else
To a last resting place.

[JL]

Why not?

Fame's Boys and Girls, who never die
And are too seldom born –
Better to go down - dignified -
where nobody can call you crone -