Night-Night

The Rime of the Bleary-eyed Mother
(adapted from -and with apologies to- Samuel Taylor Coleridge The Rime of the Ancient Mariner)

Night, night every where
And the baby she did shriek
Night, night every where
Nor any sleep a wink

The very bed did rot: O Christ!
That ever this should be!
Yea, the crying baby did crawl with legs
Upon the matressed crib like a tree.

About, about, in reel and rout
The wakeful-one danced at night;
The mom, like a sleepless owl,
A red eyed, pale faced, fright.

And some in dreams assuréd were
Of the rest that eluded us so;
Nine suggestions for better sleep had followed us
From the land of doctors, nurses and know.

And every shh-pat-pat, through utter irritation,
Was withered at the insemination;
We could not leave the room, just as if
We had been chained to obligation.

Ah ! well for that ten a-day ! what evil looks
Had I from my young!
But at the end of it all, instead of a bawl
The sweet sound of 10 hours sleep was sung