Analysis of Poem for a sleeping child
Dave Collins 1953 (Springfield)
There’s a wish to wander in your cool innocence
and cruise the thoughttides of no
responsibility—so easily you wipe your
shoeless feet on the ever waiting door
mat of socialization. How can I help you keep your
tender "souls" intact—your tread from
wearing thin out of align so as not to
fall flat. Your easy grace put to an
unfair test of ill-will winds blowing
carelessly at your soft back. I long for your sweet
calm at rest so deep so empty filled with
solid happiness—you know you are loved
beyond any measure that’s human or infinite. If
I could walk with you for a moment and peek
quietly at your conscience-----but no-it's yours
and no Dooleys allowed. Forgive me to
want to intrude on your ever pleasant play-would you
share with me like the kernel of rice or
squashed raisin-I might, but only if we all
can go. Keep it hold it for as long as you
can-as it suddenly disappears without a trace
never to be found again lest you become your
own sondaughter and learn to bask on
the outside looking in—---and be content. I
will live to never intrude on your soulspace,
but will always knock first. I am sorry ahead
of time for any pain I cause—for my mat
was torn treaded , muddy and ragged—my
sleep had no wanting witness. But I promise
to watch over you all ways.
Dave Collins. Song, Poem for a sleeping child, music to write by, Kevin Ubanks. Best read if listening to the suggested music. Spring 1991.
Scheme | AXBBBXCXDXXXXXXCCBXCXBXEAXXEXX D |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 101110011100 010111 001001100111 111010101 1100101111111 10101111 10111011111 111101111 011111110 100111111111 1111111011 1010011111 01101011011001 11111101001 10011101111 011010111 1101111010111 1111010111 11011110111 11111111111 111100010101 101110111011 1101111 01110001101 1111001111 11111111001 11110111111 111100101 11110101110 1110111 110110101011011110111110010010101 |
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 1,422 |
Words | 259 |
Sentences | 14 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 30, 1 |
Lines Amount | 31 |
Letters per line (avg) | 36 |
Words per line (avg) | 9 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 558 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 132 |
About this poem
Written for my first son, 1 at the time, as I often watched him sleep once I would put him to bed. U must listen to the song same title, by Kevin Eubanks to get the full emo measure. He's now 31.
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Written on 1991
Submitted by klaatu on July 16, 2021
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:18 min read
- 10 Views
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"Poem for a sleeping child" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/105119/poem-for-a-sleeping-child>.
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