When I was small and very young,
Living in a land of not much sun!,
I used to play nearly every day,
With cousin Jacqui and uncle John,
Down by the sea and the muddy creeks,
Collecting shells, then we’d hide-and-seek.

Sometimes I’d venture on a boat with dad,
Far out to sea and I just a lad.
Once I swam off a forty-foot yacht,
Miles from land but you could see quite a lot.
First I’d tread water then zoom off with a splash,
Back to the stern, making sure not to crash.
And there was my dad –
Oh such fun that we had!

We used to have a border collie,
A flash of black and white
And the trains were soon sorry!
Along the seaside stretch they’d fly –
They were only ever safe at night:
Our Sheba would chase them off “Goodbye”;
Tail uplifted, so full of pride.

Though they’re mostly a haze,
Still I remember the feeling of fun.
Those were the days,
When I was young.