Mistress

by John Herlihy

It baffles how simple words can take an odd turn,

One moment in the sun, another in a fire to burn.

The term mistress, a case in point, comes to mind.

Traditionally, an exalted lady, now rendered unkind.

Mistress once female master, a woman of authority,

In charge of the household, a woman of superiority.

A female teacher or governess, rather commanding,

Upper class personage enjoying high social standing.

Shakespeare’s Mistress Quickly held title of respect,

With head held high, not a whiff of scandal to detect.

Either a learned women who had mastered a craft,

Or a woman of poise and purpose, skilled in fine art.

Mistress of the wardrobe who knew fine adornment,

A cruel mistress of Gothic tales with macabre intent.

Mistress as beloved woman who captured the heart,

Who wished to be courted and adored from the start.

The fifteenth century saw a shift to the other woman,

The woman of reckless repute kept by a married man.

This the usage that stuck down through the centuries,

The venal mistress who ended up in grim penitentiaries.

For centuries, mistress retained as the formal address,

Adult woman, married or unmarried, need not confess.

The word finally fell into derivations of Mrs., Ms., or Miss,

Until the younger generation settled for the brotherly sis.

Where once there reigned supreme the lady of the house;

Nowadays there reigns supreme the lady outside the house.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Thursday 8 January 2026