Lullabies

So soothing to a troubled soul
Reminders of time before the great forgetting,
In that first year so full of firsts,
Impressions imprinted, fixed for life,
Recalled only in dreams and fantasies.
Perhaps that’s where all déjà vu begins.
A lazy summer afternoon
Beneath a shady elm or oak
Lulled by rhythmic back and forth
Recalls a cradle’s gentle rocking
And nascent melodies sung to sooth
The frantic cries of a frightened babe.
Rock-a-bye, Rock-a-bye
My little silken-haired one.
There is no need for troubled thoughts
Of worldly care and woe.
Let these lyrics be your downy pillow,
This lullaby be your feathery bed.