Thursday, April 29, 2010

Must not waste National Poetry Month!!

I love Dorothy Parker. She did write a rather unkind of review of one of A.A. Milne's Pooh stories as Constant Reader but no one is perfect.

Her poems are delicious.

----------------
Frustration

If I had a shiny gun,
I could have a world of fun
Speeding bullets through the brains
Of the folk who give me pains;

Or had I some poison gas,
I could make the moments pass
Bumping off a number of
People whom I do not love.

But I have no lethal weapon-
Thus does Fate our pleasure step on!
So they still are quick and well
Who should be, by rights, in hell.

------------------
Neither Bloody Nor Bowed


They say of me, and so they should,
It's doubtful if I come to good.
I see acquaintances and friends
Accumulating dividends,
And making enviable names
In science, art, and parlor games.
But I, despite expert advice,
Keep doing things I think are nice,
And though to good I never come-
Inseparable my nose and thumb!

---------------------------
On Being a Woman

Why is it, when I am in Rome,
I'd give an eye to be at home,
But when on native earth I be,
My soul is sick for Italy?

And why with you, my love, my lord,
Am I spectacularly bored,
Yet do you up and leave me- then
I scream to have you back again?
--------------------
Purposely Ungrammatical Love Song

There's many and many, and not so far,
Is willing to dry my tears away;
There's many to tell me what you are,
And never a lie to all they say.

It's little the good to hide my head,
It's never the use to bar my door;
There's many as counts the tears I shed,
There's mourning hearts for my heart is

There's honester eyes than your blue eyes,
There's better a mile than such as you.
But when did I say that I was wise,
And when did I hope that you were true?
----------------------
Words of Comfort to Be Scratched on a Mirror

Helen of Troy had a wandering glance;
Sappho's restriction was only the sky;
Ninon was ever the chatter of France;
But oh, what a good girl am I!
---------------------------
Observation

If I don't drive around the park,
I'm pretty sure to make my mark.
If I'm in bed each night by ten,
I may get back my looks again,
If I abstain from fun and such,
I'll probably amount to much,
But I shall stay the way I am,
Because I do not give a damn.
-------------------------

7 comments:

furiousBall said...

haha, these are great! once again my math-heavy, technical education rears it's ugly head - I had never read Dorothy Parker prior to this here thingamadooey.

but in keeping on my crusade to catch up with the rest of you literary mofo's i'm adding a book of her poems to my library list. so there.

lime said...

i just gave myself a volume of DP's complete poems. i've been quite enjoying it. her hymns of hate are hilariouss.

Doug The Una said...

I'd cling to Parker and set aside Pooh.
I'd skip the Algonquin to sit at her table.
I'd suffer sarcasm from Dot in a stew.
But exhuming her tongue is more than I'm able.

Logophile said...

Van~ Madame Parker is definitely worth exploring, carry on.

Lime~ She makes hate so delightful, doesn't she?

Doug~ I just want you to know that the ability to toss off a topical quatrain ranks really high on my List of Traits to Admire.

Anonymous said...

So you have introduced me to a poet who not only grew up in NY/NJ but is readable and funny. And since Lime also relishes DP's lines I will have to dive further into her verse. Thanx.

Charlene Amsden said...

Big grins here. I could have written that thumb and nose one -- and the last observation definitely pertains to me.

Logophile said...

Cooper~ Yes, trust Limey and me, we definitely are on the money with this one. Glad you enjoyed!

Actonbell~ Ooooooh yes, she was.

Quilly~ hee hee, isn't she great? So fun and witty. Love reading her.