I was involved in a short discussion earlier today with some friends on Twitter, and one mentioned a cross-stitch piece that one of her aunts had. I thought the piece was wonderful, and decided to see if I could find any attribution for it, and met with success. Originally published in “The Ladies’ Home Journal” in 1938, here it is:

“Song for a 5th Child” by Ruth Hamilton.

“Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby 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 her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For 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.”

If you are interested, there is a cross-stitch pattern of it at http://velona.net/Babies-Dont-Keep-lacs-350.htm