Friday, March 4, 2011

Ageing Gracefully


THEME THURSDAY
chose the illustration.

AGEING GRACEFULLY

Few things age as gracefully as books;
Though worn they still retain appealing looks.
Though their spines become more tattered,
And they're sometimes coffee-splattered
Or grease-stained by enthusiastic cooks.
*
I speak of books with character, of course;
Such as 'Fairy Tales Translated from the Norse',
Or 'Traveling in Persia',
'How to Overcome Inertia',
Or 'How To Send Your Messages by Morse.'
*
I don't include the modern paper-back,
Which may be written by a passing hack,
But books of ancient leather
Lined up on shelves together,
Alongside some historic Almanac.
*
I sometimes wish that I were such a book
And I could show that aged-but-lovely look;
That my wrinkles could prove charming,
And not quite so alarming!
But I'm the girl the book-look quite forsook!
*

-------------------------------------------------------


I'M BY THE FROZEN PEAS!

How did we do our shopping before the mobile phone?
(Yes, 'you' call it something different, that I know.)
But, how did we do our shopping without a dialling-tone,
In those dark, dark ages not so long ago?
I pass them in the aisles with 'something' glued on to their ears,
A look of strain upon their youthful features,
And I hear them snarling ' Make your mind up! Lemonade or beers?'
And my heart goes out to these poor anguished creatures.

'They haven't got the small size!'

'No! It's quite another brand!'

'Well, how am I to know your Mother hates it!'

'They've got tomato-flavour!'

'Hell's Teeth! Can't you understand?'

'Who cares how highly Uncle Freddy rates it!'

'The round one or the square one?'

' Well, you bought that sort last week!'

'Check in the kitchen cupboard, on the shelf!'

'Well, strawberry's my favourite'.

'Do you only want one leek?'

'To hell with that! You do the job yourself!'
*
In the days before technology we sort of worked it out.
When we shopped, there wasn't one thing that we missed.
Life was simpler, faster, neater, and more restful, without doubt,
In the days when Mother had a SHOPPING LIST!
*

5 comments:

Lynette Killam said...

I love the wish that your "wrinkles might prove charming, and not quite so alarming". I'm with you on this, but will continue to believe that we do have "that aged-but-lovely look"!!

And the shop-by-phone piece is most amusing...much too weird for us older gals to comprehend...:)

Lynette
Imagination Lane

Lois Evensen said...

Love the last one. It's exactly my daughter and me in the same large store: Ring, ring. "Hello?" "Where are you?" "In the yarn department, of course." "Be right there." Click. Other click.

jabblog said...

We all long for the 'aged-but-lovely look' apart from those poor souls who try to defy age with cosmetic surgery and botox! They just look odd!
As for shopping with the mobile phone - I'm constantly surprised by the number of people wandering round the supermarket chattering on a phone. A list is much easier - if you remember to take it;-)

Janice said...

I enjoyed your poem on ageing/books. Very clever. I don't think my wrinkles are "charming" either.

As far as shopping with a phone, I haven't done that...yet; but I sure do see a lot of people going that route.

cheryl said...

I'll take the aged but lovely look any day. Well stated Brenda!