A Certain Lady
1924
Oh, I can smile for you, and tilt my head,
And drink your rushing words with eager lips,
And paint my mouth for you a fragrant red,
And trace your brows with tutored finger-tips.
When you rehearse your list of loves to me,
Oh, I can laugh and marvel, rapturous-eyed.
And you laugh back, nor can you ever see
The thousand little deaths my heart has died.
And you believe, so well I know my part,
That I am gay as morning, light as snow,
And all the straining things within my heart
You’ll never know.
Oh, I can laugh and listen, when we meet,
And you bring tales of fresh adventurings, —
Of ladies delicately indiscreet,
Of lingering hands, and gently whispered things.
And you are pleased with me, and strive anew
To sing me sagas of your late delights.
Thus do you want me — marveling, gay, and true,
Nor do you see my staring eyes of nights.
And when, in search of novelty, you stray,
Oh, I can kiss you blithely as you go ….
And what goes on, my love, while you’re away,
You’ll never know
Dorothy Parker
Born: 22 August 1893, New Jersey, USA
Nationality: American
Died: 7 June 1967, New York USA
Parker was a poet, critic, writer, and satirist based in New York. She was best known for her wit, wisecracks, and an eye for 20th-century urban fables. From an unhappy childhood, Parker rose to fame, both for her literary works and as a founding member of the Algonquin Round Table. Following the breakup of the group, she travelled to Hollywood to pursue a screenwriting career with successes including two Academy Award nominations. However, her screenwriting career was curtailed by her left-wing politics resulting in her placement on the Hollywood blacklist
From the Back of the Wardrobe 