Hush, Little Baby
By John Herlihy

I
Hush, little baby, do not cry,
Wash away your tears,
Give them time to dry,
If need be, you have years.
Your heart is not breaking,
I am the one forsaking,
To see you in tears.
Your smile now broken,
In confusion and fears.
Look up to the sparrows,
They fly freely through the sky.
You have never seen them before,
They are heading to a distant shore.
There will be other emotions,
To draw away your devotions,
To wring you out like a rag,
Or stuff you into a paper bag.
You have only to imagine,
What you little heart can fathom.
Just look into my eyes,
Just show me your smile,
To make me content for a while.
There is nothing you can change;
Your destiny you cannot exchange.
Your life is still locked inside,
Just be yourself with nothing to hide.

II
Hush now, my son,
Your life has begun,
There is no reason to cry.
There will be other emotions,
With reason enough to sigh.
You have light in your eyes,
All the colors in the spectrum to espy.
You have breath to expire,
You have spirit to inspire.
There are ribbons and bows,
From your head to your toes.
The passing of summer days,
And the mystery of God’s ways,
Fireflies and church spires,
Will lift your eyes to the heavens.
That’s all you need to know,
As you from day to day grow.
I will remember this day,
Forever, as they say.
You are mine, a beautiful child;
No one can compare to you.
Others will never know,
When you look at me,
In the darkness, I glow.