Monday 17 October 2011

Lullaby Revolution

Lullaby Revolution
Katrina Boguski
October 7th 2011

Oh child soldier lay down gun
Oh child soldier evening’s come
Oh child soldier lay down head
Oh child soldier sleep in your bed

Where do you sing from? I hear you clear
Where do you hail from? I feel you near
Bullets still hailing fast overhead
I cannot sleep now I might wake up dead

Oh child soldier close up your eyes
Oh child soldier I hear your cries
Oh child soldier bullets will cease
Oh child soldier sleep now in peace

What do you mean ma’am? The bullets still fly
What do you mean ma’am? How do you hear me cry?
I cannot see you amongst all this smoke
Day’s worth of killing in blood I am soaked

Oh child soldier I’ll wash it out
Oh child soldier don’t ever doubt
Oh child soldier please sleep in peace
Oh child soldier stain and fear release  

Why do you sing to me? Why do you care?
Why be your sweet words sounding my ear?
Maybe this killing was all I could take
Maybe I’m dreaming while I am awake

Oh child, no child really I care
Oh child, sleep, soon sunrise be here
Oh child rest now others rising too
Oh child slumber they’re rising for you

Who are these people you say rise up?
Who are they fighting? Will more war erupt?
Where do I run now? Where do I hide?
I’m so tired of killing and God knows I tried

Oh child no child they rise up calm
Oh child no child they don’t carry bomb
Oh child they rise up singing instead
Oh child, sleep now peaceful in your bed

I’m too tired to run off too tired to fight
I’m too tired to shoot back and still filled with fright
I am too young to die now I just want to weep
I am too young to die and your song makes me sleep

Yes child, yes child I know your fright
Yes child, yes child still sleep all night
Yes child, yes child I sing you to sleep
Yes child, yes child feel free to weep

O ma’am I hear you my arms growing tired
I can’t hold this gun up but still shots are fired
Enemy surrounds me; please sing to them as well
Maybe they hear you and sleep for a spell

Yes child yes child we sing to them all
Yes child yes child soon all guns do fall
Yes child yes child they hear too
Yes child yes child they’re tired just like you

Children now; enemy no more,
Just another sleepy child starting to snore
Shh! Child Shh! Child do you hear the sound?
Arms are getting heavy arms are falling down
Shh! Child Shh! Child do you hear that noise?
Eyes are getting heavy responding to our voice
 
Oh child turn now turning in your bed
A new revolution fought with song instead
Oh child wars start first with brutal words
Oh child long before a bullet is ever heard
Bullets fly by now, but words fly out too
Oh child peace words fly in lullabies to you  

Tuck in your head now, tight in your bed
Try to sleep softly remembering what I said
Take in the sweet air wafting from the sea
Turn in tonight child listening to me

Ahh I do hear you and hear guns no more
Ahh I do breathe the air wafting from the shore
Ahh I do close my eyes and start now to sleep
Ahh I do thank you for hearing us weep

Good night child, Good night child
Good night children all
Thank you for sleeping and hearing our call

The lullaby revolt has started tonight
The lullaby revolt will win without fight
The lullaby revolt keeps children in bed
The lullaby revolt keeps them living not dead

Sing now! Sing now! Sing now all!
Raise up your voices join in the call
Sing out a lullaby to some child tonight
Lullabies at bedtime are every child’s right

They’re our children now; enemy no more,
Just another sleepy child starting to snore
Shh! Child Shh! Child do you hear the sound?
Arms are getting heavy arms are falling down
Shh! Child Shh! Child do you hear that noise?
Eyes are getting heavy responding to our voice
Shh! Child, Shh! Child Shh! Child Shh!

1 comment:

  1. This is part of a series of poems I would like to have set to music. If anyone knows of any musicians who might be interested in collaborating please let me know.

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