Noel Coward

I’m fond of Noel Coward. This poem seems appropriate for today and my friends.

To L. R-M.

There are certain ladies in our land,
Still living and still unafraid
Whose hearts have known a lot of pain,
Whose eyes have shed so many tears,
Who welcome pity with disdain
And view the fast encroaching years
Humorously and undismayed.

There are certain ladies in our land,
Whose courage is too deeply bred
To merit unreflecting praise,
For them no easy, glib escape;
No mystic hopes confuse their days
They can identify the shape
Of what’s to come, devoid of dread.

There are certain ladies in our land,
Who bring to life the gift of gay
Uncompromising sanity,
The past, for them, is safe and sure.
Perhaps their only vanity
It’s that they know they can endure
The rigours of another day.

~ Noel Coward