Image by IronRodArt - Royce Bair via Flickr
Nighttime, Playtime
A Nursery Rhyme
I do not want to go to bed;
it’s not yet dark outside.
Ideas dancing in my head
are begging to be tried.
I heard the moon say to the stars
It’s time to go and play.
I will be full, the night is ours.
Oh, Mama, can’t I stay?
I do not want to go to sleep
until the party’s over.
The heaven’s promises are deep;
they won’t wait till I’m older.
No. This isn’t a ballad, carol or lullaby. Well, maybe a bit like a lullaby. But circumstances are such today I’m compelled to repost a nursery rhyme for Gay Cannon’s wonderful prompt at dVerse Form for All. You’ll want to stop by…she’s serving up eggnog, poetry and wonderful information about forms you may not have tried. Hope to see you there.
And now my bit of self-serving promotion: my novel, “Winter is Past,” is finally available in various e-book formats and in PRINT! Check it out on my Website or follow the Link on my blog. It’s been a long process and I want to thank all of you for encouragement along the way.
Victoria C. Slotto, Author 
moon and star talk, wow.
what a lovely song in your words, well done.
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Night is so exciting for children and some of us late developers still have the same response.
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children never want to go to sleep, they prefer to spontaneously fall asleep
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You’ve captured that hatred of saying goodbye to the day that is so heavy on us as kids, but which seems to become the opposite as adults–not wanting to wake up. ;_) The pic is adorable, too.
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This is simply charming! (and I just made my order for Winter is Past!!! Awesome Victoria!!!!)
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Thank you, Tash!
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Warm evocative moment
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Wonderful simplicity in this.
‘they won’t wait till I’m older.’
The child is right. Very evocative and speaks to all of us.
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Victoria,
It works out to be a lullaby if you hum a tune around it. I think it does as the words are simple enough to qualify! Great verse!
Hank
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Being a night owl myself, I don’t blame little kids for not wanting to go to sleep! A lovely nursery rhyme, Victoria!
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Dear Victoria, This is a poem after my little girl soul. I always loved the night sky. I grew up in the Texas Panhandle where the dreary windblown plains transformed at night to a blanket of blue velvet, a pearl like orb set in so many twinkling diamonds that they made a child feel as though she’d been made a princess the hour after the sun set. I never wanted to sleep and only now am eager to go before dawn. I think we might dub this the anti-lullaby! 🙂 Lovely!
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I’m reading this set of links thinking what tune each calls to mind. In a funny way, yours called up the “They say that in the army” songs! (e.g., http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TZT6sZEIkw&feature=related — not its chorus, but the main verses). The “gee Ma, I want to go home” of the army tune bounces up in my head against your gentle “Oh Mama, can’t I stay”.
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I think you’re right, Kathy! Now that tune is going to go through my head the rest of the day!
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awww, i love the photo and the second to last line. “The heaven’s promises are deep”; Nice
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ha pretty funny that you and david both wrote about kids not wanting to fall asleep tonight…i like staying up to play with the stars myself…smiles.
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I am visiting this poem again. I seen I visited it last April 10 I will add I understand not wanting to go to bed until the party is ovr. Who would! Nice challenges today, and I did write something new…a bit frivolous, but can’t always be serious in this life, as you know.
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Hi Victoria ==this has a really old-timey feel in the best of senses. Like a classic nursery rhyme. Very sweet. K.
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i wasn’t sure if my particular poem would “qualify” either, so i’m glad to see your repost 😉
several lines i liked a lot,
“I heard the moon say to the stars…
I will be full, the night is ours.”
and,
“The heaven’s promises are deep;
they won’t wait till I’m older.”
thanks 😉 best wishes
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Congratulations on the book. I am hoping for a Kindle for Christmas and your novel will be top of my shopping list.
Your nursery rhyme is of universal truth to all parents and grandparents, a lovely one.
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Cutie 🙂 Lovely!!!
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Perfect response. Made me think of Danny Kaye’s “Mommy, give me a drink of water …” Do you remember that. Such fun and so was poem. Thank you!
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all kids are like that. poor parents!
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Your poem and the photo together are precious. Oh to have the wonder of a child (and imagination).
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Oh, what an adorable piece! And this kid’s quite clever, with a very valid argument:
“The heaven’s promises are deep;
they won’t wait till I’m older.”
LOL!
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familiar feeling
gently written =)
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Beautiful rhyme! poignant last stanza.
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wonderful! i love the idea of the moon talking to the stars. this is really lovely! ♥
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Yep, thats my Tinks when bedtime comes around.
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And do you let her play???
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Darling! And so is the little girl peaking out the window. Thank you for sharing.
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Oh, my lament for certain! What a painful duty!
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Yes,at night time we are not still ready for bed for we hear stories only at that time with the dazzling stars and moons …lovely poem
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Oh, this is lovely! Absolutely lovely, and the picture goes with it perfectly. As a fellow Flickr user, I have to wonder how long it took to find it.
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Zematra, an optional feature of WordPress found it for me. I put in a search for “child looking out window.” If you don’t have Zematra, put in a search for it in WordPress. It’s been invaluable.
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I enjoyed reading this poem very much..it made me smile! Siggi in Maine
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Thanks Siggi…wish you’ld leave your URL so I could visit you back!
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Oh this is realy clever. So much fun to read. You really got into the spirit of the nursery rhyme!
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