When I was five the other day,
Candles pink and candles white,
Daddy’s sister came to tea,
Candles pink and white.

She brought a birthday hat for me,
Roses pink and roses white,
A summer hat of golden straw,
Roses pink and white.

I wore my hat upon the beach,
Ribbons pink and ribbons white,
The warm wind blew it out of reach,
Ribbons pink and white.

We chased it far across the sand,
Sea-shells pink and sea-shells white,
And came back laughing, hand in hand,
Sea-shells pink and white.
For Bessie, August 1981