Warning!
Warning
By Jenny Joseph
Artist Pat Brennan
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.
By now you’ve probably heard of the ‘Red Hat Society’.
Jenny Joseph (above) wrote the poem at 29 years of age. In a 1996 survey, the BBC identified this poem as the UK’s most popular post-war one, beating Dylan Thomas’s “Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night.”
I remember a friend gave me a book of poetry when I was a young mum and I just fell in love with Jenny’s poem.
The imagery inspired me to throw a surprise birthday party for my mum ( I think it was her sixtieth!!!) with the theme of wearing red hats and wearing purple. This was LONG before the Red Hat Society existed . Isn’t that funny?
I still love the idea of ‘ aging ungracefully’ , of putting fun into our days instead of having to be the ‘perfect’ lady, mother, sister, daughter, friend, or wife.
In 1997, Sue Ellen Cooper of Fullerton, California, gave her friend a vintage red fedora and a copy of “Warning” for her 55th birthday. Sue Ellen went on to found the popular Red Hat Society. The women famously wear red hats and purple outfits to their public gatherings, usually tea.
I’ve taken photos of some of the Red Hats ladies , my most recent one in Hawaii one year. They really do look stunning with all of their colour, like brilliant parrots or peacocks out for tea and giggles.
In 1999, the prestigious Royal Society of Literature recognized Jenny’s contribution to British poetry and made her a fellow.
She left us too soon in January 2018 at age 85 AND once upon a time, when asked, she replied, “I can’t stand purple. It doesn’t suit me.” ha ha ha.
So now that I’m getting to be an old woman I’m considering wearing more purple. I already own a few red hats but don’t worry, Terry, I’m not interested in joining the ‘Society’.
There’s so much to worry about in the world right now. It can be difficult to even smile some days.
So….WARNING :
If you see me wearing purple, I might be practicing.
Life is short. Let’s look for the good things.
Let’s be a bit sillier. What will YOU do when you’re old?
