Wednesday 16 January 2008

January 16th


"You, whose day it is, get out your rainbow colors and make it beautiful."
Traditional Nootka song
Show me colour in your life today . . . . Anna
These are the colours that are in my life every day.
I just love pink and purple.
Maybe that is why I have
an affinity with this poem!
Warning . . . Jenny Joseph
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm 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 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 pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats 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.

Perhaps we all have our own last line, what outrageous
thing will you do when you get old?

5 comments:

Mary B said...

Great photo and I love that poem don't think I am old enough yet to do all those things though

willowthewysp said...

Love the poem!
I love pink and purple too:)

Anne said...

Brilliant, Shirley. I just love that poem - I definately want to grow old disgracefully!

Gnomes said...

Honey this is just fab so love the poem - wish you hear me giggling over here in Kuwait !! You have cheered me up after yet another long dull day!!!

Scrappy~Sarah said...

ooo I am worried now as I wear a lot of purple!