An Ode to Deanna
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
“Beauty’s but skin deep.” – John Davies of Hereford
John Davies of Hereford (c. 1565 – July 1618) was a writing-master and an Anglo-Welsh poet. He referred to himself as “John Davies of Hereford” – after the city where he was born – in order to distinguish himself from others of the same name, particularly the contemporary poet Sir John Davies (1569–1626).
Davies was a prodigious writer, whose main themes were theology and philosophy. His masterpiece was Microcosmos (1603), a religious treatise. Among his other works were Wittes Pilgrimage (c. 1605), a collection of love sonnets; and Humours Heav’n on Earth; with the Civile Warres of Death and Fortune (1609), a description of the bubonic plague. His Scourge of Folly (c. 1610) contains references to two of his famous literary contemporaries, Ben Jonson and William Shakespeare.
The phrase included in today’s quote is from A Select Second Husband for Sir Thomas Overburie’s Wife (1616). It is also the main theme of Proverbs 31:30, which reads as follows: “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” (BSB)
How many marriages do you know that ended in divorce once the initial physical attraction wore off and the husband and the wife began to show signs of aging? A wrinkle here and a gray hair there… and the next thing you know, they are exchanging their middle-aged spouse for a bride or groom half their age.
Deanna and I have been married for 41 years and not only do I love her more than ever, but I am also more attracted to her than when I first laid eyes on her. Why is that? Because I know what lies beneath her surface – a caring, selfless woman who loves God and her family and will do anything for them.
I don’t know who John Davies of Hereford had in mind when he penned his words 410 years ago, but maybe King Lemuel, the author of Proverbs 31, was thinking about Deanna when he wrote his ode to a virtuous wife.
“Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.” Proverbs 31:28-29 (BSB)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
