My Poem of the Week: 'Vespers' by AA Milne

[narya_flame]

My Grandma used to sing this to get my siblings and I to go to sleep when we stayed at her house.  I don't know where she got the tune from; possibly she made it up?  Anyway her funeral was yesterday, which is why I'm a day late posting this, and it's very much an 'in memoriam' choice - please bear that in mind if you'd like to comment.


Vespers

Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed,

Droops on the little hands little gold head.

Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares!

Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

 

God bless Mummy. I know that's right.

Wasn't it fun in the bath to-night?

The cold's so cold, and the hot's so hot.

Oh! God bless Daddy - I quite forgot.

 

If I open my fingers a little bit more,

I can see Nanny's dressing-gown on the door.

It's a beautiful blue, but it hasn't a hood.

Oh! God bless Nanny and make her good.

 

Mine has a hood, and I lie in bed,

And pull the hood right over my head,

And I shut my eyes, and I curl up small,

And nobody knows that I'm there at all.

 

Oh! Thank you, God, for a lovely day.

And what was the other I had to say?

I said "Bless Daddy," so what can it be?

Oh! Now I remember it. God bless Me.

 

Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed,

Droops on the little hands little gold head.

Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares!

Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.