I posted this a while ago and a lot of people seem to be looking for it – so here it is again.
Babies Don’t Keep
by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton
Mother, O 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 loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo
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
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.
Half Pint Pixie says:
I love it! It could be about me and my shocking house! and my happy rocking baby of course:)
26th July 2010 at 9:15 am
Tami Ames says:
My mother always loved this poem and I was so glad to find it for my neice’s baby shower as a tribute to her grama who would have ADORED this new baby! Thank you for helping me make this so special for all of us!
26th July 2010 at 12:49 pm
Mish says:
glad i could help! I had to hunt down the whole thing and the author myself – it’s such a beautiful poem!
26th July 2010 at 1:15 pm
Joan says:
This poem meant so much to me as a stay-at home mommy!
I even have the last stanza on a china mug my mom gave me many years ago.
My children were born in 1974, 1977, 1981 and 1984, and I just became a grandma last June!
I was searching the Internet for this poem,
to send it to my daughter-in-law for her first Mother’s Day,
as well as to my niece who became a mommy in September,
and here it is!
Mish, do you know WHEN it was written?
26th July 2010 at 4:05 pm
pretty sweet. says:
[...] have the poem “babies don’t keep” on my fridge, i love it so and it really makes me come down to earth when i start turning into a [...]
26th July 2010 at 5:15 pm
Triciamarie says:
Oh, Thank You! I have been searching everywhere to give this to my daughter-in-law. I loved this when I had my first, and now that all 3 are grown and have given me 9 grandchildren ~ I want this beautiful reminder that baby comes first for them, too. Wow! I think the older we get: the faster time goes!!! Enjoy these precious gifts and keep this reminder in plain sight to help keep priorities straight.
26th July 2010 at 4:42 pm