Of old age now I am fond, br With it now I have firm bond; br Silvery hair and shrunken cheeks, br On eyes a pair of spects antique. br br I am now for the world showpiece, br Through sudden slips tongue often fleece; br Of old age now I am fond, br With it now I have firm bond. br br * A rejoinder to Ruth Walter’s ‘Old Age’.br br C. P.