A poem or two from Dorothy Parker

I was thrilled to discover another Dorothy Parker fan on the floor, when Jennifer Baker came over to remind us of Parker's answer when challenged to use the word "horticulture" in a sentence. Parker's instant response: "You can lead a horticulture but you can't make her think." So then we got to swapping Dorothy Parker one-liners, and eventually even a couple of Dorothy Parker poems. My contribution:

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.

Jennifer's:

The Red Dress

I always saw, I always said
If I were grown and free,
I'd have a gown of reddest red
As fine as you could see,

To wear out walking, sleek and slow,
Upon a Summer day,
And there'd be one to see me so
And flip the world away.

And he would be a gallant one,
With stars behind his eyes,
And hair like metal in the sun,
And lips too warm for lies.

I always saw us, gay and good,
High honored in the town.
Now I am grown to womanhood....
I have the silly gown.