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 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.

thank you kerry and diana for this poem - today seems like the day to put it on the blog. the kingdom shoes are walking their peace around the city of sheffield and i'm sure they're causing havoc in the heavenly realms! thank you so much. i love you.