I think you should sample the X server instead of emacs. 
emacs_Xt_next_event() is how emacs handles events. In X all the on-screen 
work is actually done by another process, the X server (Xquartz in this 
case). The poll() is for the descriptor used to comminucate between 
X server and emacs. You should sample Xquartz and see what is taking so 
much time.
There is a nice write-up in section 9 of this paper about using DTrace for 
similar ends:
http://www.usenix.org/event/usenix04/tech/general/full_papers/cantrill/ca...
mzs
On Thu, 1 Nov 2007, William Gallafent - william(a)gallaf.net wrote:
 Well, I did a quick "Sampler" run.
 I just pressed page up and page down a few times, and all the time spent was 
 redrawing the text on the screen.
 This time is apparently being spent in "poll$UNIX2003" from _XRead <- 
 _XReply <- XQueryColor <- xft_convert_color, and "select$DARWIN_EXTSN",
from 
 XtAppProcessEvent <- emacs_Xt_next_event.
 Anybody know why this might be?
 (There is a message with the actual Sampler run attached  (24KB zipped!) 
 awaiting moderation ...)
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