Provide, Provide
By Robert Frost
The witch that came (the withered hag)
To wash the steps with pail and rag
Was once the beauty Abishag.
The picture pride of Hollywood.
Too many fall from great and good
For you to doubt the likelihood.
Die early and avoid the fate.
Or if predestined to die late,
Make up your mind to die in state.
Make the whole stock exchange your own!
If need be occupy a throne,
Where nobody can call you crone.
Some have relied on what they knew,
Others on simply being true.
What worked for them might work for you.
No memory of having starred
Atones for later disregard
Or keeps the end from being hard.
Better to go down dignified
With boughten friendship at your side
Than none at all. Provide, provide!
Robert Frost (1874 – 1963) is a famous American poet.
October 17th, 2006 at 6:42 am
Forty years ago, during my college years, we girls occasionally had to invite a boy for a formal party. Normally we used to write some flowery letter to invite our ‘prince’, ending same with an appropriate quote of some sorts. Of course my date-to-be should never get the feeling that I might be in love with him, therefor I invariably ended my request with:
‘Better to go down dignified
With boughten friendship at your side
Than none at all. Provide, provide!’
Ah, those were the days….
Trudi (the Netherlands)