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Jenny Joseph
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.
Read poems about / on: purple, money, people, warning, woman, summer, children, rain, red, shopping, child, women, running, flower, friend
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This I like. Reminds me of an old saying....
Life is too short to wait until you are old to wear purple
absolutely love the last verse; gave me a chuckle
I love this poem as when my elder sister who is 87 made a comment which her family did not like she cried on the telephone and wished she could have retracted the statement, she helped my mother bring up a large family and always acted with decorum all her life, so I sent her a copy of this poem and told her to tell her family she was going to wear purple and buy a red hat and to expect much more to come! it really cheered her up
I love this poem as when my elder sister who is 87 made a comment which her family did not like she cried on the telephone and wished she could have retracted the statement, she helped my mother bring up a large family and always acted with decorum all her life, so I sent her a copy of this poem and told her to tell her family she was going to wear purple and buy a red hat and to expect much more to come! it really cheered her up
I love this poem as when my elder sister who is 87 made a comment which her family did not like she cried on the telephone and wished she could have retracted the statement, she helped my mother bring up a large family and always acted with decorum all her life, so I sent her a copy of this poem and told her to tell her family she was going to wear purple and buy a red hat and to expect much more to come! it really cheered her up
Wow! i hate that pathetic excuse of a word but its all i can come up with (terrible reflection on me i know) but hey ho... i absolutely adore this rebellion on suburbia... It makes one feel comfortable knowing that the restraints on society affect....thanks to the powers which put out writes that i may discover new poets for my enjoyment... shall scurry off now to see if her others have this sort of effect on me... love the title also
What a wonderful insight into life that unmasks that which we secretly would like to do. Marvelous poetry and one for me to treasure.
George J. Carroll
A wonderful poem, seems to be an English equivalent of the well-known phrase in Hindi Budhi ghodi lal lagam which loosely translated into English means Old mare with red reins!
shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
we pour of passion to love to flower
My this comment is addressed to Mr. Will Moore 7/31/2009..
We in India Have a famous saying.,
'Jahan na pahunche Ravi wahan pahunche kavi'
That means
The imaginations of a poet can reach beyond the extent of rays of Sun..
And here the poet has done the same..