BELSHAZZAR had a letter,—
~Emily Dickinson
He never had but one;
Belshazzar’s correspondent
Concluded and begun
In that immortal copy 5
The conscience of us all
Can read without its glasses
On revelation’s wall.
I don’t know how much I’m going to be able to say about this one. Ironically–or fittingly?–the internet keeps cutting out here. My words are liable to be sparse and cryptic.
Belshazzar’s “letter,” in the Bible, is the source of the phrase, “the writing on the wall.” Mysterious writing appears on a wall during the king’s feast, and the prophet Daniel interprets it as a sign of doom should the king not do as his predecessor did and turn to God. Belshazzar rewards Daniel but apparently does nothing else, and that night dies, losing control of his kingdom to outside forces.
I’ve avoided this poem for a long time because I didn’t know quite what to make of it, but I think maybe I’ve been overthinking it. Belshazzar received word that he needed to change. We all get these messages, loud and clear, whether from invisible divine hands or other more prosaic sources. They’re glaringly obvious, to our consciences, at least. What we do with them is up to us.
The Emily Project 