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 practise 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 Jenny Joseph
So purple is going to be my colour for this sabbatical. Here are all the names for purple
Amethyst
Aubergine
Blackberry
Blackcurrant
Blueberry
Burgundy
Dawn
Haze
Heather
Heliotrope
Indigo
Lavender
Lilac
Loganberry
Magenta
Maroon
Mauve
Mist
Periwinkle
Plum
Pomegranate
Purple
Tayberry
Violet
Wine
Can you think of any more purple colours?
I was asked to make something in purple. Then I got carried away and made loads of them. Purple challah covers. They are to protect the bread from being sad when you bless the wine at the start of Shabbat meals.
So here are some initial thoughts on purple
