Babies Don’t Keep!

I hope that my child looking back on today

remembers a mother who had time to play

for children grow up while you are not looking

there will be years ahead for cleaning and cooking

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth

empty the dustpan, poison the moth,

hang out the washing and butter the bread,

sew on a button and make up a bed. 

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue

lullaby, rockaby, lullaby 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?

lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,

for 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!

~ Ruth H. Hamilton