WARNING
by 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 the flowers in other peoples’ 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.
Heading outdoors to " spit"! Polly
When I Am An Old Man
I shall wear my old slippers whenever I choose.
Have popcorn and pickles while on my armchair cruise.
Dance around in my bathrobe, put my false teeth in a jar,
Make friends of my enemies and talk “love”, not war.
Eat ice cream for breakfast and spend some days abed.
Nod off in the sunshine over books I've not read.
I'll drink milk from the carton, eat peaches from their tin,
And throw away my neckties, grow whiskers on my chin.
Make music on an old guitar to chase away the blues,
And scratch where it itches, forget to shine my shoes.
Wink at the girls and give a big grin,
Notice the sunsets and let the dogs come in,
On Holidays I'll wear fine shirts, plaid trousers that are loose,
And let one of the youngsters carve the turkey or the goose.
But now, we must get to work on time.
Save every nickle,penny and dime.
Be proper and prim, stay healthy and fit.
Pay our taxes and not complain about it.
But maybe I'll begin doing some of these things now,
Like forgetting my manners when I'm eating my chow,
So our friends will recognize me on that far away day,
When suddenly I am old and begin acting that way!
~ by Donna Schwarz & Elizabeth Lucas ~
Well color me purple
Don’t you love that yorkie? When a new member comes in, we give them an 8 by 10 copy with flowers around the edges, framed of course. Its a cute poem I think. “picking the flowers from other’s yards and learning to spit” always tickled me.
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LOL
Thanks for the “Warning” poem. Love it. Cute Red Hat graphic. :)
Have a wonderful day!