Friday, June 5, 2009

One Perfect Rose

A single flow'r he sent me since we met.
All tenderly his messenger he chose;
Deep-hearted, pure, with scented dew still wet -
One perfect rose.

I knew the language of the floweret;
'My fragile leaves,' it said, 'his heart enclose.'
Love long has taken for his amulet
One perfect rose.


Why is it no one ever sent me yet
One perfect limousine, do you suppose?
Ah, no, it's always just my luck to get
One perfect rose.

Dorothy Parker



As a teenager I adored Dorothy Parker's witty verse and memorized much of it. Only later did I learn more about her acerbic book reviews in the New Yorker under the byline 'Constant Reader' and her immortal response to The House at Pooh Corner: "Tonstant Weader frowed up."

Still later I encountered her short stories -- bleak, but beautifully written -- and learned more about her life. Not a happy lady, I'm afraid. But that light verse of hers will rattle round in my head forever.






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10 comments:

Auntie Knickers said...

Mine too! But your roses are worth more than a limo, and better for the world.

Vicki Lane said...

Anyway, it would take a four-wheel drive limo to get up our road. I've seen a stretch Hummer -- truly obscene.

You're right, Nikki, I'll stick with the roses!

Ramadhani said...

Beautiful shot.. good job. I am very enjoy about content of your blog..

Thank you
Ramadhani-Indonesia

Vicki Lane said...

Thank you, Ramadhani! And I enjoyed taking a look at your part of the world over on your blog!

NCmountainwoman said...

I also fell in love with Dorothy Parker's wit as a teenager and just ate it up. All these years later, I often pull one of her acerbic verses from the depths of my brain. Still appropriate after all these years.

Vicki Lane said...

Carolyn,

Glad to hear others are still quoting Dorothy P!

I just saw the post with the pileated woodpecker over at your blog -- amazing pictures! Those birds put me in mind of pterodactyls!

KarenB said...

I don't have one perfect rose - all the rain has made them rather bedraggled. But, I DO have (had) one perfect book club meeting today. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Anonymous said...

On the way through Atlanta to work I used to pass a limo service called "A Cut Above." One of the vehicles parked in front was a limo pick-up truck. Long cab and then a pick up truck bed about four times the usual length. Never seen anything like it. Maybe used for tail-gating parties at Georgia or Ga Tech football games? Maybe that would be the one limo that could make it up your road.

Lynne in GA

Vicki Lane said...

It was great fun! Like sitting around a table together. I hope some other book clubs will give SKYPE and me a try!

Vicki Lane said...

Okay, that previous comment was for Karen, with whose book club in NJ I met while sitting comfortably in my home in NC. Ah, the miracle of free Internet video calls!

And Lynne in GA! Tee hee! The pickup limo sounds like a redneck joke waiting to happen. Bad enough that we have six dogs on the porch and an outhouse down at the barn. With such a vehicle ( maybe up on blocks in our front yard)people would really begin to talk!