Godmother
July 5, 2023Dilemma
July 5, 2023For A Lady Who Must Write Verse
Unto seventy years and seven,
Hide your double birthright well-
You, that are the brat of Heaven
And the pampered heir to Hell.
Let your rhymes be tinsel treasures,
Strung and seen and thrown aside.
Drill your apt and docile measures
Sternly as you drill your pride.
Show your quick, alarming skill in
Tidy mockeries of art;
Never, never dip your quill in
Ink that rushes from your heart.
When your pain must come to paper,
See it dust, before the day;
Let your night-light curl and caper,
Let it lick the words away.
Never print, poor child, a lay on
Love and tears and anguishing,
Lest a cooled, benignant Phaon
Murmur, “Silly little thing!”
Dorothy Parker
Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) was an American poet, writer, and satirist. She is best known for her sharp wit and biting commentary on social issues, as well as her contributions to the New Yorker magazine. Parker's poetry, such as "Resumé" and "One Perfect Rose," is characterized by its humor and irony.