Sun and Fun

SONG OF A NIGHT-CLUB PROPRIETRESS

I walked into the night-club in the morning;

    There was kummel on the handle of the door.

The ashtrays were unemptied,

The cleaning unattempted,

    And a squashed tomato sandwich on the floor.

I pulled aside the thick magenta curtains

    —So Regency, so Regency, my dear—

And a host of little spiders

Ran a race across the ciders

    To a box of baby ’pollies by the beer.

Oh sun upon the summer-going by-pass

    Where ev’rything is speeding to the sea,

And wonder beyond wonder

That here where lorries thunder

    The sun should ever percolate to me.

When Boris used to call in his Sedanca,

    When Teddy took me down to his estate

When my nose excited passion,

When my clothes were in the fashion,

    When my beaux were never cross if I was late,

There was sun enough for lazing upon beaches,

    There was fun enough for far into the night.

But I’m dying now and done for,

What on earth was all the fun for?

    For I’m old and ill and terrified and tight.