I Was That Child

I was the child who would lie on his back
And wave to the trees, and the trees waved back
Long days in the sun.
I was the boy with his jar and his net
Bringing tadpoles home, his clothes all wet
Nature was fun.
I was the lad who was far too tough
To be caught enjoying this nature stuff,
All kaftans and rice.
I was the youth who enjoyed the thrill
Of discovering man has the power to kill.
Not very nice.

We all need the trees and the birds and the bees
And the frogs and the flowers
And the choice can be ours
But we're taking too long to decide what its worth
Remember, we've borrowed the Earth

Of course, there were times when the truth shone through
With the setting sun, or a sparkling dew
Beautiful sight
And now I'm a man who is happy to cry
When the swifts return to my favourite sky
Screaming in flight.
When I'm an old man with time to spare
How much of my wildlife will still be there
Its vanishing fast.
Will there still be larks in the summer sky
And returning swifts that can still make me cry
How long will they last?

We all need the trees and the birds and the bees
And the frogs and the flowers
And the choice can be ours
But we're taking too long to decide what its worth
Remember, we've borrowed the Earth

We're in danger of losing the earth.

Words: Chris Baines; 1987