I held the door to allow a lady to enter a shop

And as a result I got a very pleasant surprise

For she stood, looked at me, and said “Thank You”

Her good manners brought a tear to my eyes

For good manners are very scarce today

I thought they had been consigned to history

Why this should be is hard to understand

In fact it has become quite a mystery

For when we were young we were taught to be polite

To stand up on a bus to let a lady sit down

But that does not appear to be the practice today

As I observe when I travel on the tram into town

Are good manners not being taught in our schools

Are the teachers too busy teaching dancing and singing?

We should never underestimate good manners

For they are a sign of a good upbringing

It has been said that good manners cost nothing

But their benefits are hard to evaluate

They can have a profound effect on our charisma

And can lift us from being average to first rate

Good manners help to improve relationships

And these are important as we travel on life’s way

For we all expect other people to respect us

And it is important that good manners are taught today