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 practise a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple. (Jenny Joseph when aged 29!)
I've earned those liver spots, grey hairs, wrinkles, spare tyre, receding gums and cellulite and my State Pension which starts today! AND I've been wearing purple since the 1970s, but not red hats!
Pocketful of joy today - actual, and typed, chats with friends and family as it's my birfday
When you become old, you can do all of those things, but that is still a long way off for you. (Practicing now is a great idea though.)❣️ love the selfie.
Absolutely love it. This poem is often one I quote as how I intend to behave now that I am semi retired and have also just started drawing my state pension
Happy Birthday!
I discovered a few days ago that I have a 'loose body' in my hip. Not what I imagined it was though. ha ha.
Enjoy your day!
You may grow older numerically. .but, your character & attitude to life will keep you 'young.'
Many happy returns of the day!
Happy Birthday