Ageing Gracefully

THEME THURSDAY

http://themethursday.blogspot.com/

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.

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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.'

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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.

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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!

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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!'
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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!
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