The following lines came to me (partially, anyway) yesterday in church. Those of you who notice the first line(and the title) is in homage to Jenny Joseph’s wonderful poem, give yourselves a gold star. This one is for Mark,who asked for something lighter after the somewhat grim offering yesterday. I was wearing more purple than the Bishop yesterday, and it sort of sparked some thoughts. Enjoy, I’m off to Marks and Spencer’s.
Warning
When I am bold I shall wear purple
With red satin undies that nobody sees
but make me feel a million dollars
in an inexplicable, sensual way
I shall say what I mean when I speak
and mean what I say, whatever the cost
I shall not waver in my conviction
that I have a right to be here
I shall leave my face unpainted if I want
And not feel bound by convention or habit
To alter my appearance in the slightest
If that is not how I wish to look.
I will wear flatties even if the style gurus say “No!”
because as a work in progress,
I am a being of perpetual motion
and no one can really run in heels.
I will try new things when I find them
even if they make me sick for a week
I will not follow the herd, but
I may accompany then sometimes
For observation and learning
because, you know, sometimes,
it’s nice to be part of a group.
But sometimes, I am far from bold
and I seek to hide my colours amid the beige
and wear underwear the colour of old gum
and say nothing when I should say everything,
shudder at the thought of trying something new
and hide from those who may need me
because to be bold is also to be a target
and a soul gets tired of being hunted.
So I will start small and work towards
an everyday boldness that becomes
a solid purple beacon of light
By buying those red satin undies
for those days when I need to be bold
and daring, from the inside out.
