The first thing that came to mind when I saw this week’s photo challenge was the poem, “Warning,” by Jenny Joseph. Most of you have probably heard it many times before. I’ll print it here as a reminder. After reading it enjoy nature’s purple decking!
Warning
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.
Related articles
- Day 74 – Purple Martini – “Warning” (martiniconversations.com)
- If I Live to be an Old Woman (tricialo.wordpress.com)
- How to wear purple (ezibuy.com.au)
- The Hourglass (tryingtowriteit.wordpress.com)
- Purple Jewelry and Jewelry Colors (lucidnewyork.com)
- Today in the garden (littlemuddyboots.co.uk)
Just spectacular. You reminded me – I have 4 packs of flower seeds that have been waiting for me to plant them for two months . I will do it this week.
Carl, it is good to see you here. I’ve been sorta keeping low key these past few weeks. Good luck with the flowers. I’m hoping to have a yard FULL of flowers in five year’s time! Have fun.
I hope I look as nice in purple as your flowers.
Thanks Pattisj. I hope I look that good, too!
Lovely purple flowers and poem
Thanks scrapydo! Glad you liked.
Love your slideshow of purple flowers,
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
Thanks Francine. I’m glad you like the photos.
Love the purple.
Thanks Nancy. I love purple and I want to be the old lady in the poem “when I grow up!”
Thanks for stopping by.
I am in the lavender stage right now
….no, really I am old and haven’t found any purple to wear, nor lavender.
Good to remember!
Thanks for stopping by, Linda. I appreciate it. I hope you are having a glorious day.
Hi Cecelia, this is a wonderful post! The pictures are stunning, and I love the poem by Jenny Joseph. (I even borrowed from it for my wedding vows).
Thanks for stopping by. Glad you like the pictures, and I am SO impressed that you borrowed from the poem for your wedding vows. Cool!
Nice selection of flowers and the poem made me smile. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you like the poem.
I don’t want to wait to wear purple as an old woman~~I want to wear it now. But it’s sometimes hard, as society wants us to wear ordinary colors. I loved your photos.
Thanks Kathy! I do have a lot of purple that I wear now seeing as it is one of my favorite colors. Glad you like the photos.
Love the colour purple. Love the post and the photographs.
Thanks! I’m glad you like them.
“And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves”
I’ll skip the gloves, but I’m in on the brandy
LOL! I’ll join you.
The same poem came to my mind when I saw this particular challenge:) A beautiful slideshow…
Thank you, Paula. Great minds think alike!
AND I’m happy to hear that you like the slide show. Have a wonderful weekend!