Light of Love

Dorothy Parker

1893 –

1967

JOY stayed with me a night—
Young and free and fair—
And in the morning light
He left me there.

Then Sorrow came to stay,
And lay upon my breast;
He walked with me in the day,
And knew me best.

I’ll never be a bride,
Nor yet celibate,
So I’m living now with Pride—
A cold bedmate.

He must not hear nor see,
Nor could he forgive
That Sorrow still visits me
Each day I live.

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

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:
A kiss is every other kiss.

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

Light of Love

More by this poet

Incurable

Day-Dreams

Renunciation

Poems

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Light of Love

More by this poet

Incurable

Day-Dreams

Renunciation

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