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Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Growing Old and Wearing Purple

An oldie but a goodie - I just love this poem!





Warning - When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple
~ By Jenny Joseph ~

When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple

with a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

and satin candles, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I am tired

and gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

and run my stick along the public railings

and make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain

and pick the flowers in other people's gardens

and learn to spit.


You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat

and eat three pounds of sausages at a go

or only bread and pickles for a week

and hoard pens and pencils and beer nuts and things in boxes.


But now we must have clothes that keep us dry

and pay our rent and not swear in the street

and set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

9 comments:

Sunny Delight said...

The first time I read this was the 50th birthday of my mother-in-law..I loved it then, and now years later I still LOVE it! It gave me the message that my whimsical side was my best side....and MY kids loved that! Thanks for the reminder .... and the smile that goes along with it. *hugs

Mia said...

You know I've seen those groups with the ladies in purple with red hats...when I was in Texas. lol I didnt know it was real.

LePhare said...

I can't believe it. Took my wife shopping this afternoon, and as she was selecting some jumpers for the winter, those were the words I used. "When I'm old, I shall wear purple".

I like purple. Does that say something about me?

Fiona said...

I've always loved this Sunny and I really can see myself as part of the brigade Miranda saw in Texas.

*L* Miranda that is just waaaaay cool!!!!

LePhare will you please get out of my head *L*... and ummm that 'boob' shot of yours seems to have more to it than meets the eye!!!

~Tim said...

I read somewhere that Jenny Joseph hates wearing purple. Is that irony?

Fiona said...

hahahahaha tvs...maybe she's fighting the age thing more than she thought she'd want to when she wrote that!!!

Dayli said...

I've never read this one before. I just love it, love it, LOVE it.
Old age is my biggest fear in life, this poem synthesizes it is such a positive way.
I love it!

Steve said...

I have never read this poem before...
and I love it too. :)

Fiona said...

Dayli and Steve - So glad you two are enjoying it with the rest of us.

By the way I'm wearing purple today...well aubergine really...but NO red hat, unless my red hair counts??

OMG does it clash....holding sleeve up to my hair...be honest now people does it? *L*

 

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