My Portion is Defeat — today —

My Portion is Defeat — today —
A paler luck than Victory —
Less Paeans — fewer Bells —
The Drums don’t follow Me — with tunes —
Defeat — a somewhat slower — means —
More Arduous than Balls —

‘Tis populous with Bone and stain —
And Men too straight to stoop again —,
And Piles of solid Moan —
And Chips of Blank — in Boyish Eyes —
And scraps of Prayer —
And Death’s surprise,
Stamped visible — in Stone —

There’s somewhat prouder, over there —
The Trumpets tell it to the Air —
How different Victory
To Him who has it — and the One
Who to have had it, would have been
Contender — to die —

Emily Dickinson

Like a fallen soldier

My fortune is Defeat — today —
A paler fate than Victory —
Less hymns — fewer Bells —
The Drums don’t follow Me — with tunes —
Defeat — a somewhat slower — means —
More Difficult than Bullets —

'Tis populous with Bone and stain —
And Men too straight to shoot again —,
And Piles of incessant Moan —
And Fixed Pupils — in Boyish Eyes —
And broken piece of Prayer —
And Death’s surprise,
Inscribed visible — in Stone —

There’s somewhat prouder, over there —
The Trumpets tell it to the Air —
How different Victory
To one who gets victory and the other
Who would have been Contender —
To die for Victory—

* Emily felt identified with a soldier who fell for Victory in the Battlefield. She is depressed.