Sunday, December 21, 2008

Thirty


A Lady Who Thinks She Is Thirty
- Ogden Nash

Unwillingly Miranda wakes,
Feels the sun with terror,
One unwilling step she takes,
Shuddering to the mirror.

Miranda in Miranda's sight
Is old and gray and dirty;
Twenty-nine she was last night;
This morning she is thirty.

Shining like the morning star,
Like the twilight shining,
Haunted by a calendar,
Miranda is a-pining.

Silly girl, silver girl,
Draw the mirror toward you;
Time who makes the years to whirl
Adorned as he adored you.

Time is timelessness for you;
Calendars for the human;
What's a year, or thirty, to
Loveliness made woman?

Oh, Night will not see thirty again,
Yet soft her wing, Miranda;
Pick up your glass and tell me, then--
How old is Spring, Miranda?


Lovely poem, isn't it? No prizes for guessing why I put that up here, today.

My friend sent it to me around the time she turned thirty, and I saved it carefully, to help lift my spirits (or so I thought) when I turned thirty. But today, I find that I don't need it at all. My spirits are quite high. The Thirty number is actually exciting, not scary. Is wisdom finally making an appearance with age? Have I at last realized that age is just a number? :)

29 comments:

Srik said...

I take the honour of wishing you first here!

Have a great 'thirtieth' birthday madame Shruthi :-)

Anonymous said...

nice post Shruthi.. Happy Birthday:)

-Anurama.

~nm said...

Happy Birthday!! Have a wonderful, happy and healthy year ahead!!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday! :)

Abhipraya said...

Happy Birthday Shruthi! 30 is a great place to be. It only gets better from here :)) And lovely poem!

Shammi said...

Many happy returns, Shruthi :) When you start looking 30, that's when to worry - you have decades yet, methinks...

Dhanya said...

Many many happy returns of the day Shruthi :)

Aarthi said...

Happy Birthday Shruthi!

Anonymous said...

A very very happy birthday, Shruthi :)

Anonymous said...

They say 50 is the new 30 and by extension of that shall we say 30 is the new teens? :)

Happy Birthday.

Vish
NY.

Anonymous said...

Many many happy returns of the day. :)

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Shruthi :)

Adu said...

happy birthday, shruthi! may you have a wonderful year ahead.

praneshachar said...

NICE ONE AND OPT OCCASIONS TO POST
CHOOSING RIGHT THINGS FOR RIGHT OCCASIONS IS YOUR SPECIALTY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN YOUR OWN BLOG MAY BE BELATED BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
AGE REALLY DOES NOT MATTER
YOUR SPIRITS THAT MATTER AND WISH YOUR SPIRITS AND ENTHUSIASM BE WITH YOU FOR EVER AND EVER

PRANESH

Altoid said...

Belated thirtieth Shruti :). Merry Christmas and Happy New Year wishes to you and yours

-altoid

Anonymous said...

Many many happy returns of the day!
Shruthi

Anonymous said...

Sorry belated wishes,
Many many happy returns of the day!
Shruthi

Anonymous said...

Many many happy healthy returns of the day.
Jayashree aththe

Anil P said...

Belated wishes.

A poem as apt as any for the occasion, more a crossing of a threshold.

The timelessness of time, no less.

Mana said...

Belated bday wishes :)

Anonymous said...

Sorry I am late. Belated b'day wishes Shruthi! And yeah, it IS all in the mind. :)

Sumana said...

Many happy returns of the day shruthi. Seasons greetings.

Anonymous said...

Here's wishing you a happy thirtieth birthday! IMHO, 30 stands for proud and confident, gone're the days of no giggly 20s... Enjoy!

Anonymous said...

Hey A Happy Thirtieth to you! :)

Bindhu Unny said...

A very belated birthday wish and not too belated new year wish :-)

Anonymous said...

Shruthi,

Missed visiting the last couple of weeks. Hope you had a nice b-day, and best wishes for the year ahead.

And I am not suprised that your spirits did not need lifting. Also you may be (only) 30 but there is a quiet maturity about your writing.

From: The liked-your-writing-Anon from your MNK Park post. But got to confess: can't get excited about posts on pedicures and facials etc. Gender bias, perhaps.

Sachin said...

A long silence reigns! Hoping all is well?

LAK said...

Bela-a-ated birthday wishes!Good, your spirits didn't need lifting!And, I too agree, your writing is really mature for someone your age!(Of course, I'm practically doddering!:D)

workhard said...

Hope your thirties are as cheerful as you sound, Happy Birthday, i love the poem, boosts me too :D

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