England, dear England,
You are my mother
Cradling me in your gentle valleys.
Moist and green;
Hills serene.

England, dear England,
You are my father
Protecting me with your craggy heights.
Tall and proud;
A peaceful shroud.

England, dear England,
You are my brother
Teasing me with your icy winds.
Struggling and fighting;
Coldly biting.

England, dear England,
You are my sister
Befriending me with your golden, sprawling meadows.
In my mind
Your peace I find.

England, dear England,
You are my lover
The coastline of my soul
Washing over me with waves of love.
Golden Earth,
Crashing surf.

England, dear England,
You are my babe,
My bud of life.
Fresh scented flower
In each darkest hour.

England, dear England,
You are my ancestors.
The ruins of your ancient past endlessly enshrining my present.
Over centuries of strife
Bringing hope and life.

England, dear England,
You are the harbour of my heart,
Becalming the roughest storm.
For wherever I may roam
England, my family beckons me home.

(Written in 1979)