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Epitaph for a Darling Lady

1893 –

1967

All her hours were yellow sands,

Blown in foolish whorls and tassels;

Slipping warmly through her hands;

Patted into little castles.

Shiny day on shiny day

Tumble in a rainbow clutter,

As she flipped them all away,

Sent them spinning down the gutter.

Leave for her a red young rose,

Go your way, and save your pity;

She is happy, for she knows

That her dust is very pretty.

From Enough Rope (Boni & Liveright, 1926) by Dorothy Parker. This poem is in the public domain.

More by this poet

Incurable

And if my heart be scarred and burned,
The safer, I, for all I learned;
The calmer, I, to see it true
That ways of love are never new—
The love that sets you daft and dazed
Is every love that ever blazed;
The happier, I, to fathom this:

Dorothy Parker

1928

Day-Dreams

We’d build a little bungalow,
If you and I were one,
And carefully we’d plan it, so
We’d get the morning sun.
I’d rise each day at rosy dawn
And bustle gaily down;
In evening’s cool, you’d spray the lawn
When you came back from town.

Dorothy Parker

1926

Renunciation

Chloe’s hair, no doubt, was brighter;
Lydia’s mouth more sweetly sad;
Hebe’s arms were rather whiter;
Languorous-lidded Helen had
Eyes more blue than e’er the sky was;
Lalage’s was subtler stuff;
Still, you used to think that I was
Fair enough.

Dorothy Parker

1926

Poems

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Epitaph for a Darling Lady

More by this poet

Incurable

Day-Dreams

Renunciation

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