Purple People Wearers (by guest blogger Kaz)
It’s totally cheesy, but this poem actually changed my life. I have no idea what age I was when I read it (I have a terrible memory) but believe it or not, I was a way too serious child. My mother used to make me play
hooky with her from school to try to loosen me up.
When I read this poem I understood why she deemed it as important to go strawberry picking, go for a late midweek brunch or see *ahem* a Star Trek Movie on opening day as it was to be in class for a pop quiz.
Warning – When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple
By Jenny Joseph
When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple
with a red hat that doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
and satin candles, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I am 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 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 pickles for a week
and hoard pens and pencils and beer nuts 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.
Kaz is a punkrocklawyer, an excellent maker of pies, a brilliant electrician and will look quite fine wearing purple when she is old.
August 25th, 2010 at 12:53 am
I LOVE THIS POEM AND POST!! I cannot imagine a serious, unfun Kaz at all! You’re like the funnest quirkiest person EVER! Without your Halloween/Buffy parties I would have no friends right now.
August 25th, 2010 at 12:54 am
I have tried every method I know to unbold the poem. WordPress simply laughs in my face. WordPress hates me.
August 25th, 2010 at 1:20 am
One of my all-time Top 10 poems. Thanks for the late night smile.
August 25th, 2010 at 9:55 am
Thanks for this. I’m going to start practicing now!!!
August 25th, 2010 at 11:04 am
Does WordPress let you edit the html directly? There’s just that one unclosed STRONG tag before the title. Sorry if this is obvious.
August 25th, 2010 at 11:09 am
Tito, can you see the tag? I don’t… And I closed the only
one I saw…
August 25th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Totally cheesey, and I love it. You guys are so awesome.
August 25th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
This is a poem that deserves to be bold.
It broke my heart when this poem went trendy. I love it.
August 25th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Yeah, just before the title:
<p><STRONG (I DON’T THINK THIS ONE IS CLOSED)>Warning – When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple<br /><br /><br /><br />
<em>By Jenny Joseph</em></p><br /><br /><br />
August 25th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
Fascinating stuff for the comments page, I know. How great is this poem?
August 25th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
hee! having a particularly trying day today at work and it’s taking all of my self control to not run outside and splash in the puddles.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
I’ve been wearing purple – here and there- and it’s awesome.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
btw, I’m glad my pie making skills were finally acknowledged.
August 25th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA TAKE THAT WORDPRESS! TAKE THAT! WHO’S YER DADDY?