Sometimes I Remember

Sometimes I remember
The good times that we had
Way back I the fifties
When I was a growing lad
The river we would follow
The fields we used to roam
On the east side of the city
That I still call my home

We walked to school each morning
All the kids from down our street
Crossed over with the warden
Stopped to buy some sweets
Laboured in the classroom
‘Till the school-bell rang at four
Then grabbed our gear so quickly
And broke out through the door

Saturdays were different
The day was all our own
Us friends would get together
On push-bikes we would roam
Sometimes we’d go swimming
Sometimes to the park
With mother’s message in our ears
“Make sure you’re home by dark”

One day we built a trolley
A plank and four old wheels
Two bent nails, a big long bolt
For brakes we used our heels
And it was, “Who would push?”
And, “Who would ride?”
As we dragged it up the hill
Then all on-board for the ride of your lives
I hear them screaming still

Well, now I’m in my fifties
And I don’t play much at all
But I love to see the young ones
Having such a ball
It’s great to see their energy
And I like the ways they play
I’d love to play like them again
I think I’ll start today!

If you walk that river now
You wander down those ways
You’ll see the young lads of today
Playing the same old games
If you watch them closely
Through the corner of your eye
You’ll see that they still hold the spark
That no one should let die