Happy Mother's Day

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#watercolor #bensound #mothersday #poetry #elizabethakersallen

Here’s the full poem:
“Rock Me to Sleep”
by Elizabeth Akers Allen
Backward, turn backward,
O Time, in your flight,
Make me a child again just for tonight!
Mother, come back from the echoless shore,
Take me again to your heart as of yore;
Kiss from my forehead the furrows of care,
Smooth the few silver threads out of my hair;
Over my slumbers your loving watch keep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!

Backward, flow backward,
O tide of the years! I am so weary of toil and of tears,—
Toil without recompense, tears all in vain,—
Take them, and give me my childhood again!
I have grown weary of dust and decay,—
Weary of flinging my soul-wealth away;
Weary of sowing for others to reap;—
Rock me to sleep, mother — rock me to sleep!

Tired of the hollow, the base, the untrue,
Mother, O mother, my heart calls for you!
Many a summer the grass has grown green,
Blossomed and faded, our faces between:
Yet, with strong yearning and passionate pain,
Long I tonight for your presence again.
Come from the silence so long and so deep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!

Over my heart, in the days that are flown,
No love like mother-love ever has shone;
No other worship abides and endures,—
Faithful, unselfish, and patient like yours:
None like a mother can charm away pain
From the sick soul and the world-weary brain.
Slumber’s soft calms o’er my heavy lids creep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!

Come, let your brown hair, just lighted with gold,
Fall on your shoulders again as of old;
Let it drop over my forehead tonight,
Shading my faint eyes away from the light;
For with its sunny-edged shadows once more
Haply will throng the sweet visions of yore;
Lovingly, softly, its bright billows sweep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!

Mother, dear mother, the years have been long
Since I last listened your lullaby song:
Sing, then, and unto my soul it shall seem
Womanhood’s years have been only a dream.
Clasped to your heart in a loving embrace,
With your light lashes just sweeping my face,
Never hereafter to wake or to weep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!

Artist, Dad, & Hobbit
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40 thoughts on “Happy Mother's Day”

  1. For anyone wanting to read the full poem:

    "Rock Me to Sleep"

    by Elizabeth Akers Allen

    Backward, turn backward,

    O Time, in your flight,

    Make me a child again just for tonight!

    Mother, come back from the echoless shore,

    Take me again to your heart as of yore;

    Kiss from my forehead the furrows of care,

    Smooth the few silver threads out of my hair;

    Over my slumbers your loving watch keep;—

    Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!

    Backward, flow backward,

    O tide of the years! I am so weary of toil and of tears,—

    Toil without recompense, tears all in vain,—

    Take them, and give me my childhood again!

    I have grown weary of dust and decay,—

    Weary of flinging my soul-wealth away;

    Weary of sowing for others to reap;—

    Rock me to sleep, mother — rock me to sleep!

    Tired of the hollow, the base, the untrue,

    Mother, O mother, my heart calls for you!

    Many a summer the grass has grown green,

    Blossomed and faded, our faces between:

    Yet, with strong yearning and passionate pain,

    Long I tonight for your presence again.

    Come from the silence so long and so deep;—

    Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!

    Over my heart, in the days that are flown,

    No love like mother-love ever has shone;

    No other worship abides and endures,—

    Faithful, unselfish, and patient like yours:

    None like a mother can charm away pain

    From the sick soul and the world-weary brain.

    Slumber’s soft calms o’er my heavy lids creep;—

    Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!

    Come, let your brown hair, just lighted with gold,

    Fall on your shoulders again as of old;

    Let it drop over my forehead tonight,

    Shading my faint eyes away from the light;

    For with its sunny-edged shadows once more

    Haply will throng the sweet visions of yore;

    Lovingly, softly, its bright billows sweep;—

    Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!

    Mother, dear mother, the years have been long

    Since I last listened your lullaby song:

    Sing, then, and unto my soul it shall seem

    Womanhood’s years have been only a dream.

    Clasped to your heart in a loving embrace,

    With your light lashes just sweeping my face,

    Never hereafter to wake or to weep;—

    Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!

    Reply

  14. Lost my mom a few years ago. Im almost 18 now and i wasnt been able to express my feelings lately but the poem and the art made me pretty emotional. Thank you for this💕

    Reply

  26. 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

    Reply

  28. Oh Scott I needed this I lost my mother at 12 years old and now I'm 14 to covid and now I just wish I could go back to those days has a baby I have dabbled in watercolor for about 3 years now and it has really helped me with mine with my depression some of these things about art💞💞

    Reply

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