Ode To My 5th Child

by Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

Mother, oh 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, too. Dishes are waiting and bills are past due Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye, too. 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" Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye, too. The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow. So quiet down cabinets! Dust go to sleep! I'm nursing my baby and babies don't keep!!