Sleep now child

Sleep now child.

Let the boat’s hull sing

you the water’s splashing lullaby.

Let it whisper to you in the language

of all the ships at sea.

Sleep now child.

Let the warm evening breeze

flutter the edge of your thin blanket.

Let the wind’s smell of sand and grass mix

with varnished wood and damp ropes.

Sleep now child.

Let the stars of late evening

dot the inkwell black lake.

Let the fusion pink sunset

make way for the conch-shell moon.

Sleep now child.

Let the rolling rock of waves

on the small craft sooth you.

Let the engine hum slowly

as the boat chugs deeper into night.

Sleep now child.

Let my cradled arms

lift you over the dock planks.

Let the frogs and crickets welcome you

dreaming back to shore.