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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.
Jenny Joseph
| Submitted Date |
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Friday, January 03, 2003 |
| Submitted Date |
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Monday, July 30, 2007 |
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Read poems about / on: purple, money, people, warning, woman, summer, children, rain, red, shopping, child, women, running, flower, friend
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Comments about this poem (Warning
by
Jenny Joseph
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Kee Thampi (1/11/2012 5:19:00 AM)
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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
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Abhishek Tiwari (10/13/2011 11:38:00 PM)
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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..
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Len Webster (6/26/2011 5:22:00 PM)
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Probably the best poem from Jenny Joseph's generation - but, oh, how she must wish her other fine poems had even half the exposure of this one!
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Hans VR (12/8/2010 6:05:00 AM)
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Breaking out from society imposed conformity is something not easy to do. I think we all should start and wear purple with a red hat today. A very interesting poem.
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Yacov Mitchenko (12/2/2010 8:52:00 PM)
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Will Moore makes a good point. Yes, one can think that 'acting naturally', that breaking shackles in old age is a silly approach to life, especially since there's no guarantee that one will live that long. Indeed, resolutions are oftentimes just a noble-seeming way of dodging our responsibilities. We can think better of ourselves that way without ever actually making the necessary change, or dealing immediately with what requires our attention now. We assume that perhaps a distant future will unfold more favorable circumstances for the change. And so on...
That's definitely in the poem, but perhaps the author wanted to convey the silliness of all that through the character sketch. The 'I' is not necessarily the author. The character here is making a confession of sorts and relating intention, but clearly has a blind spot which may well be evident to the author. Seen in this light, the poem is good and has a depth to it.
Another thing to be reckoned with in the poem is fear. Fear of what other people may think NOW should the person engage in eccentric or outlandish behavior is certainly an issue. And fear is causing the individual to make such a resolution. An interesting side issue is this: How can the person be a good parent, putting up a front all the time because of fear? Can one be a loving parent while always pretending, pretending, pretending? I like this poem. It has profundity and can be discussed at length - if the poem is regarded as a character sketch, and not the confession of the author.
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Baby Girl (7/18/2010 5:55:00 PM)
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(:
I like your poem a lot. It makes me smile.. Thank you for showing it/allowing the reading of such a fun creative piece.
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Abdu Rahman (6/19/2010 1:30:00 AM)
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kavitha nannayitundu badadosth 9846785610 kerala calicut
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Kali B (1/30/2010 3:49:00 AM)
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Oh how I love this poem :)
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Rahul Aithal (12/15/2009 7:39:00 PM)
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This is what we all want to do but afraid to do.
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Salu Salu (9/30/2009 9:06:00 AM)
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greatness is simplicity! ! ! mild flow but heavy prangs... it hits underneath heart..
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