Sunday, July 3, 2011

On the Sadly Deficient Nature of Bedtime Rituals

Whoever wrote "Rockabye,
Baby," it seems
didn't do much to nurture
that baby's sweet dreams.
After all, how secure
and how safe could it be
with a cradle precariously
perched in a tree?

How warm and how cozy
would bedtime be then
if the wind blew the blanket
that tucked the babe in?
Oh, how might the little one
sleep in his bed
with a bough breaking loudly
right there by his head?
And last but not least,
would the baby not pout
if the cradle crashed down
and it tossed him right out?

And that prayer saying
"If I should die 'fore I wake"
is enough to bring on
a severe bellyache.
The baby looks at you
as if to say, "Why
are you doing this to me?
I don't want to die!"
As for "Hush, Little Baby,
Don't Say a Word,"
who the hay wants to play
with a dang mockingbird?

So cuddle the baby
and give him a kiss,
but don't traumatize him
with garbage like this.
Tuck him in tightly
and coo to him--but
he'll have more chance to sleep
if you keep your mouth shut.

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