When I am an Old Woman

When I heard of the theme “Power of Dreaming” I thought back to my favorite poem “Warning” by Jenny Joseph. In it, she discusses her dreams for when she grows old, how she will wear purple and be rude, wild, and happy. Then, she states how regrettably now, young her, must not be like this – they are only just dreams, after all!

Yet still, at the very end of her poem: “but maybe I ought to practice a little now/so those who know me are not too shocked and surprised when suddenly I am old and start to wear purple” represents how perhaps those dreams are not just for the future. Perhaps there is power in dreaming for the now.

And so, I made this self-portrait. I sit on my most favorite (and unconventional) sofa, crocheting with my cat; piled around me are my beloved books and plants, and small knick-knacks on the shelf. All these objects and activities make up my “dream life”, or what my greatest hopes for the future would be. But perhaps now is the time to create and love and be happy, for such a dream is the most powerful of all.