She Tied His Tie with a Smile

She tied his tie with a smile,
And it was a good tight Windsor knot,
The silk ran round her fingers,
Round, around, her fingers.

The sun sailed high in the bright sky,
The flowers were dancing on their beds.
She always fixed him up,
Off to work, dashing and handsome.

For thirty years she loved,
And tied those Windsor knots,
She forgot, forgave little lies,
Steady, true, a rock of pride.

Their beautiful children were grown,
Children kept clear on Fridays,
A little too much make-up on Saturday,
But no matter, the day was always gentle with her smile.

She tied his tie with a smile,
And it was a tight ol’Windsor’s breath,
And for all the years of beating her,
She strangled that drunk to death.

• John Grace, M.D.
• Class of 2000