Friday 19 July 2013

When I am old ......

When I am an old long dog woman
I shall wear tartan and agates
and an old hat with a feather that I
bought at a jumble sale










And I shall spend my meagre pension
on port wine and pig's ears
and sit in the shed where I keep the ferrets
just to watch their kits at play



















And I will once more slip out in the middle
of a winter's night with my two old dogs
across a moon-struck meadow
to watch them course just one last hare


















And when people call I will appear to listen
and mutter all the wrong noises at all the wrong times
I will serve rabbit pie to vegetarians
remove ticks in public
and continue to spit




I will drive my old van and wear dog's hairs
on my clothes as if they were jewels
and I will be an embarassement to all
who have not found the peace of being free
to call long dogs their truest friends
















Friends who wait at the midnight hour
with tails a wag and eager eyes
for the kind of woman I will be when I am old.

Julia Line
July 2013 - written for my 66th birthday which is imminent



13 comments:

  1. I love your writing -- prose or poetry. Beautifull. Happy birthday in advance! Mine was yesterday!

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  2. Happy Birthday to you. I hope that you spend the day doing what you love most. Your bit of poetry is says it all. Enjoy life to the fullest and don't be afraid of letting others know what a great life you have had and the things that make you happy.

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  3. Happy Birthday to you. Mine is today and it's NOT happy. All the best to you and your dogs.

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  4. Wonderful poem! Happy Birthday to you, enjoy every second of it. :)

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  5. Happy Birthday!! And thank you for the wonderful post!!

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  6. Great thoughts to enjoy your upcoming special day

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  7. Happy Birthday to you Julia.

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  8. Thank you all for your good wishes, it's not actually till the 24th and I'm just digging out my tartan dress to wear on the day!

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  9. Happy Birthday! And many, many more!

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  10. Wonderful! You're doing everything in the right way! As I am not far behind you, I'm taking notes.

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  11. Wonderful! You're doing everything in the right way! As I am not far behind you, I'm taking notes.

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