Hushaby Street - dreams and hibernation for dark January days .....

    For all the magics, the sleepy mortals, the animals and the trees who are under the spell of Morpheus in this the coldest and darkest month of the English year - you are not alone!
     A poem for you to read at bedtime - an extraordinary Victorian mixture for children, of innocent dreams, brought about apparently by opium! 

'The Rock-a-by Lady'

by   'The Children's Poet'   Eugene Field 1850 - 1895

'The Rock-a-by Lady' by Margaret Tarrant from 'A Child's Book of Verse'
pub. Ward, Lock & Co. Ltd

                                                The Rock-a-by Lady from Hushaby Street

Comes stealing; comes creeping;

The poppies they hang from her head to her feet,

And each hath a dream that is tiny and fleet -

She bringeth her poppies to you, my sweet,

When she findeth you sleeeping!

'All Fast Asleep and Dreaming' by Jane Pinkney from 'Mouse Mischief' by Margaret Greaves
pub. Marilyn Malin Books / Andre Deutsch 1989

                                             There is one little dream of a beautiful drum -

"Rub-a-dub!" it goeth;

There is one little dream of a big sugar-plum,

And lo! thick and fast the other dreams come

Of pop-guns that bang, and tin-tops that hum,

And a trumpet that bloweth!

'The Bunnies were Sleeping' by Rene Cloke
pub. in book by Enid Blyton c.1950

And dollies peep out of those wee little dreams

With laughter and singing;

And boats go a-floating on silvery streams,

And the stars peek-a-boo with their own misty gleams,

And up, up and up, where the Mother Moon beams,

The fairies go winging!

 'Fink We Could Put You Up'

on a postcard by Mabel Lucie Attwell

pub. Valentines

Would you dream all these dreams that are tiny and fleet?

They'll come to you sleeping;

So shut the two eyes that are weary, my sweet,

For the Rock-a-by Lady from Hushaby Street,

With poppies that hang from her head to her feet,

Comes stealing; comes creeping.

Newest things that you might enjoy on my faery Eco Enchantments web site are :-

The Magic of the Ogham Trees - Blackthorn

Wassail - on the Diary Blog.