Afternoon Lyrics
And done with this desire
With memory to share my bed
And done with this desire
With peace to share my fire
Beneath my laundered cap
And watch my cool and fragile hands
Lie light upon my lap
With lace to kiss my throat
I'll draw my curtain to the town
And hum a purring note
And rock and stir my tea
But oh how I wish those blessed years
Were further than they'd be
With lace to kiss my throat
I'll draw my curtain to the town
And hum a purring note
And done with this desire
With memory to share my bed
And done with this desire
With peace to share my fire
With peace to share my fire
Carla Bruni is singing a very famous poem by Dorothy Parker
In verse one, the poet says that when she is old and has all the comforts she requires, she will have finished with her present amorous desires and instead of lovers in her bed, she will just have calm memories This matches the quiet of her daytime life, when peace is her only company, replacing her previous, hectic social life
This second verse is a portrayal of her dignity and orderly life in old age –Her hair severely pulled back in bands, a well-laundered nightcap on her head. There is no sign of agitation as her hands, frail with the advancing years, lie at rest upon her lap.
In the third verse, her neat lifestyle is reflected as well in her dress with its rustic pattern and its high lace collar. Her curtains are drawn to shut out the hurly burly of the town outside and she hums a tune of contentment.
In the fourth verse, she claims that she will forget the distressing episodes in her past as she rocks gently in her rocking chair and stirs her tea.
This has been a reassuring picture of blissful old age but the last two lines come as a jolt. The title of the poem is “afternoon” not “evening”, because it is a poet in her thirties contemplating her final years. In a typical, discordant note of reality, Dorothy Parker expresses dismay that this final state of serenity, that is her old age is approaching too rapidly