Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Babies Don't Keep

Song for a Fifth Child.

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.


L.O.V.E this poem by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton
Totally should be doing some I.V. Therapy non-sense right now but GUESS WHAT???

My babies are WAY more fun...




2 comments:

Melanie said...

That has to be my favorite poem!!!

The Shoes said...

I love this so much! I was actually just reminded of it recently, and it has definitely been on my mind. Sure puts things in perspective!