You Ought To Have A Medal, Mrs. More Poem by A. P. Herbert

You ought to have a medal, Mrs. More,
The medal for the Coupon and the Queue,
The Cross for Courage on the Kitchen Floor,
The Order of the Scrubbing-Brush and Stew.

No Special Correspondent sees you shop
Or carry home that heavy little bag;
Nobody cares if you are fit to drop;
Nobody knows how high you fly the flag.

The shop, the sink, the kitchen, and the queue —
Firewatching — gardening — the child — the chores —
Clean, cook, and wash — clean, cook, and wash anew —
But all the rest of every day is yours.

God bless the boys who keep a watch afloat,
But bless them too, who keep a house ashore;
For they are comrades in the same brave boat.
You ought to have a medal, Mrs. More.