The Gentleman Is Dead Poem by Gary Diamond

Yes, long gone is the gentleman.
Long gone are the days of suits, ties, coattails.
It now seems unusual to wear a good hat, when immigrant-made sportswear will do.
It now seems strange, and it really shouldn't.

What the hell ever happened to chivalry?
People get awarded knighthoods as a token these days.
It seems pointless, and each one cheapens the very IDEA.

Why don't modern women thank a gentleman when he holds open the door?
Or when he walks on the side of the street closest to the cars.
Or tips his hat to acknowledge a good one passing by.
No, they seem fat or tragic or in some way oddly affected.
Scared to death by feminism and the ideas they rejected.

Yes, it sure is odd.
We're bringing back fifties fashion in clothing,
So why not bring back the values too?
I don't care if I'm one of the few.
I made the effort and it was worth it.
Perhaps you should as well.

But for now, at large, it seems
That the gentleman is dead.
What we have now are men without balls.
Men in multi-million jobs cutting them off.
Men forgetting how it is to be men.
Handing it all over to the women.

And these women, despite that magic word feminism.
Seem no closer to knowing what they want now, than they ever have
Through time.
So why are men surrendering to this, I wonder.

A real gentleman is polite, intelligent and also very much in control of his destiny.
Today's pale imitation is thoughtless, barely legible and would require a dictionary
To reacquaint himself with that word
Destiny.

I'd say put that in your pipe in smoke it.
But people are scared of tobacco now too.