Babies Don't Keep
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.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due.
The shopping is not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there is a hullabaloo.
But I'm playing "Kanga" and this is my "Roo."
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
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 Hulburt Hamilton, 1958
3 comments:
Aw, I love that one. I guess she kept you waiting, if you had time to copy it verbatim? Worth the wait, though, huh. She is so good. I know she'll have little Ro fixed up sooN!
I have ALWAYS loved that poem. I have actually only heard the last part though - but it's always been a favorite of mine. Like Jeni said - sorry you were waiting that long. ha ha. Anyways - hope things work out with Rowen, but he sure is a sweet little boy.
It's so true, they grow up way too fast. My oldest baby is 14 now, he is even starting to get a little hair on his upper lip. What am I supposed to do about that? It's just wrong, wrong I tell you!!
I hope Row is doing better!
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