We--tell a Hurt--to cool it, by Emily Dickinson

The Black Berry—wears a Thorn in his side—
But no Man heard Him cry—
He offers His Berry, just the same
To Partridge—and to Boy—

He sometimes holds upon the Fence—
Or struggles to a Tree—
Or clasps a Rock, with both His Hands—
But not for Sympathy—

We—tell a Hurt—to cool it—
This Mourner—to the Sky
A little further reaches—instead—
Brave Black Berry— 

©I am not a poetry scholar, altho lately I have been thinking I might be a poet. I am making some serious poetry attempts. Not necessarily serious poems, either by tone or talent, just serious in my effort.

And I am not a literary critic or analyst.

But I love this poem and I esp. love my interpretation of it. I believe Dickinson uses the blackberry as a metaphor for how fragile we humans are. The blackberry surrounds itself with thorns, is prickly in order to be able to grow. Without prickly brambles, birds and other animals would make off with all the blackberrires. It's perfectly okay for animals to eat blackberries. Food is not on earth just for humans.

I think the central line, and theme, of this poem is "We-tell a Hurt-to cool it". She beautifully descrbes how blackberries make their way but in doing so, she also describes how tender humans, surrounded by prickles of protection, make their way. And sometimes, when hurt, we have to tell our hurts to cool them.

Brave Black Berry. Brave humans for taking chances to love, to seek to be loved, brambles gnarl our path. Pricks can hurt us. And, being human, we can voice our hurt and lessen it. We tell a hurt to cool it.