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.
-Ruth Hulburt Hamilton
5 comments:
Amen!
I am so happy you posted this. The last paragraph was framed in our house growing up but I have never read the full poem, or even really knew it exsisted. Love love love it.
i love that the title is "Song for a Fifth Child"
It's probably lost on Joshua, but I can appreciate it:)
As I read this poem and looked around my apartment I did not feel bad at all for the toys all over the floor and the dishes in the sink. I had fun with my girls today!!!
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