Babies Don't Keep

It seems like yesterday when I rocked my children to sleep and held them in my arms. Now several years later as they begin another school year I watched them walk into their classrooms longing to hold them once again, wondering where the time has gone. The little feet I used to kiss is now almost as big as mine. The feet that used to follow me everywhere during the day is now taking steps independently of mine. Sesame Street, coloring books, playdoh, and nursery rhymes are now things of the past for my two oldest children. I plan to savor every moment with my 18 month old remembering that "babies don't keep".




Babies Don’t Keep
by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

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