When I am An Old Woman

Orchid Bum

I shall indeed wear purple!

I’m assuming you know Warning, the poem by Jenny Joseph?

No? You don’t know it? And you’re how old?

Spiderwort

Well, if you’re 50 or more, I think it’s time to introduce you to this gem. It is fabulous, and terribly appropriate for senior ladies like us. You see, we care less.

It’s not that we don’t care — it’s just that we care less what people think of us. That’s a very important distinction.

Geranium Roxanne

We know what’s important. And what is not important!

Rose of Sharon

We love life and we want to display our love for this wonderful life by wearing the colour purple. Yes, it’s a colour that is maybe a tad inappropriate —  to some. But not to us. And what do we care what they think? It’s a beautiful colour!

Chrysanthemum

Many of our favourite flowers are purple.

Like this very simple mallow. It is delicate and gorgeous, like us.

Mallow

Or this pungent purple chive flower. The bees absolutely love it!

Chive Flowers

Or if you want something a bit more elegant, you could try this lovely purple crocus.

Crocus

These ladies don’t care what others think of their wardrobes! They wear their gowns with absolutely no shame. Jenny Joseph would be proud of them.

Here is her poem:

Warning

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.

Now where did I leave that red hat?

Advertisement

09 Oct This entry was published on October 9, 2013 at 6:16 pm. It’s filed under Children, Contrasts, Family, Flowers, Nature's Gifts, Nostalgia, People, Perspectives, Pride and tagged colour, I shall wear purple, Jenny Joseph, mallow, old lady, orchid, poetry, purple, purple flowers, red hat, rose of sharon, spiderwort, warning, when I am old. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.