“My glass shall not persuade me I am oldSo long as youth and thou are of one date;But when in thee time’s furrows I behold,Then look I death my days should expiate”William Shakespeare – Sonnet 22.
The Orange
By Wendy Cope
At lunchtime I bought a huge orange
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I had a half.
And that orange it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park
This is peace and contentment. It’s new.
The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all my jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I’m glad I exist.
The poetry of simplicity is often the best. Nothing too complicated. A good orange for instance. I enjoyed Wendy Cope’s re-imagining of Shakespeare’s sonnet 22. She is an accomplished poet and sonneteer. I have been feeling the pull of time a bit more lately, this past year having slipped by so quickly. And although I have accomplished much this past year in attending to my passions, I also feel like I only scratched the surface. Industry and idleness need to be taken as medicine to feed our inventions.
My Glass Can’t Quite Persuade Me I Am Old
by Wendy Cope
My glass can’t quite persuade me I am old—
In that respect my ageing eyes are kind—
But when I see a photograph, I’m told
The dismal truth: I’ve left my youth behind.
And when I try to get up from a chair
My knees remind me they are past their best.
The burden they have carried everywhere
I heavier now. No wonder they protest.
Arthritic fingers, problematic neck,
Sometimes causing mild to moderate pain,
Could well persuade me I’m an ancient wreck
But here’s what helps me to feel young again.
My love, who fell for me so long ago,
Still loves me just as much, and tells me so.
Fourteen Lines 