Becoming Sixty Poem by Gemma Hooper

Next year I am going to be sixty
So I thought I should put in some practice.
Today I wore a linen dress
And a hat with a brim
And walked rather slowly
With my feet turned out
And made my arms swing
From side to side
Graciously.

From today I shall use a footstool
And never sit sideways in my chair
With my legs over the arm.
I shall drink my Earl Grey tea
From a cup with a saucer.
I shall go into the garden
With a trug and secateurs
And stop biting off the sweet peas
With my teeth because I won’t
Forget the scissors any more.

Oh! Is that the time?
I must dash and catch the post
Or I’ll be too late
For a place in the
Beginners’ Tap Class.