Up Den Hill (ABBA)

Today I walked up Den Hill

Past the museum with its historic recipe for gingerbread

Through the Carfax with a memorial for the war dead

I did all this whilst sitting still 

Today I walked up old Den Hill

Into the park where, as a child, I watched a re-enactment of the American Civil-War

Down past football pitches where I longed a spectacular goal to score

I did all this whilst sitting still

Today I walked upon Den Hill

Up past the Co-op that was once a Spar and before that a Vivo

Behind the house where I grew up kicking a ball against a wall, a place we had to leave though

I did all this whilst sitting still

Today I took a walk up to Den Hill

Past Waterstone's the bookshop serving coffee and posting handwritten recommendations 

About life changing insights and transformative story-telling sensations

I did all this whilst sitting still

Today I walked up to Den Hill

Down the Causeway towards the old Parish Church

Through the golden daffodils in the graveyard where for Shelley's lover's tomb we did search

I did all this whilst sitting still

Today I walked up to Den Hill

Down the path alongside the cricket club hearing childhood cries of howzat?

Feeling the pain of being given leg before when the ball had already hit my bat

I did all this whilst sitting still

Today I walked up to Den hill

Over the railway on the cast iron bridge so many feet had stamped on

Where I paused to contemplate my demise on the rails under the nine fifteen from Southhampton

I did all this whilst sitting still

Today I'll walk up to that there Den Hill

Past the burnt torso of a fallen tree trunk and an abandoned baby buggy

Perhaps I'll start to feel a bit spaced-out as the weather's turning muggy

I'll do all this whilst sitting still

Today I walked up to the top of Den Hill

I looked down over the cricket pitch saw the spires and the hills beyond the rooftops

I sat on the old metal bench, smoked a roll-up and wrote a new song for Top of the Pops

I did all this whilst sitting still