Beautiful Old Age
Choosing flowers for his wife
D.H. Lawrence (1885 - 1930)
to be full of the peace that comes of experience
and wrinkled ripe fulfilment.
The wrinkled smile of completeness that follows a life
lived undaunted and unsoured with accepted lies
they would ripen like apples, and be scented like pippins
in their old age.
Soothing, old people should be, like apples
when one is tired of love.
Fragrant like yellowing leaves, and dim with the soft
stillness and satisfaction of autumn.
And a girl should say:
It must be wonderful to live and grow old.
Look at my mother, how rich and still she is! -
And a young man should think: By Jove
my father has faced all weathers, but it’s been a life!
The photo was taken on a Sunday morning in March 2005 at Dupleix market in Paris.
My wonderful husband brought me flowers today. This photo reminds me so much of this wonderful gift of love.
Comment by Maria Morris-Burke — April 5, 2006 @ 3:37 am
“Soothing, old people should be…” Would that will be said about me—I’m working on it but—”You Know It Don’t Come Easy…”
lucyd
Comment by golden lucy — April 5, 2006 @ 5:19 am
Well, I’m old, and wrinkled, don’t know about the fulfilled part, maybe….
Comment by Milt — April 5, 2006 @ 2:10 pm
Love the picture.
Comment by mary — April 6, 2006 @ 12:02 am
Beautiful flowers in a photo that truly depicts an older person in an act that demonstrates “It ought to be lovely to be old…” Why do I think that was your intent?
Comment by joared — April 6, 2006 @ 12:06 am
“Beautiful old age” the title of your post is one I shall think of often
when I look in the mirror wondering whatever happened to the little
girl with the Buster Brown hair cut and the soft big brown eyes.
Thanks Claude.
Your photo was lovely.
Comment by Chancy — April 6, 2006 @ 1:37 am
@joared, honestly, this didn’t occur to me. The title of the post is the title of the poem.
Comment by Claude Covo-Farchi — April 6, 2006 @ 10:36 am
This is your best photo/poem combination yet, Claude. Beautiful.
Comment by Ronni Bennett — April 6, 2006 @ 11:11 pm
How beautiful. Lawrence writes with such emotional resonance. And I love the marriage to the photo.
Comment by limerick savant — April 9, 2006 @ 1:38 pm
Beautiful. The sun is shining today and it evokes just the right mood for your poem and picture. Thank you.
Comment by Elizabeth Perry — April 9, 2006 @ 2:45 pm