Good evening,
This is Alison and I'm going to read you some lovely poems tonight for falling asleep to.
Lovely bedtime poems.
I hope you enjoy them.
You might find yourself feeling a bit drifty and dreamy while I read them and that you go drifting off into your own dreamland and that's wonderful.
But you might listen to all of them all the way through.
You don't have to though.
You can always come back to them again and again.
So let's begin.
How are you feeling?
Are you comfy?
Why not take the opportunity to snuggle down a bit deeper into your nest now?
And do you have everything you need?
You got your cuddlies?
Is your pillow nice and soft under your head?
How are those covers on you?
Get yourself feeling all cosy and snuggly and nesty.
You might want a little bit of a wriggle as you snuggle in.
The first poem I'm going to read to you is called Escape at Bedtime and it's by Robert Louis Stevenson.
This is a poem I remember from when I was growing up.
The lights from the parlour and kitchen shone out through the blinds and the windows and bars and high overhead and all moving about there were thousands of millions of stars.
There ne'er were such thousands of leaves on a tree nor of people in church or the park as the crowds of the stars that looked down upon me and that glittered and winked in the dark.
The dog and the plough and the hunter and all and the star of the sailor and Mars.
These shone in the sky and the pale by the wall would be half full of water and stars.
They saw me at last and they chased me with cries and they soon had me packed into bed but the glory kept shining and bright in my eyes and the stars going round in my head.
The next poem is by Eugene Field and it's called Winkin',
Blinkin' and Nod.
Winkin',
Blinkin' and Nod one night sailed off in a wooden shoe,
Sailed on a river of crystal light into a sea of dew.
Where are you going and what do you wish?
The old moon asked the three.
We have come to fish for the herring fish that live in this beautiful sea.
Nests of silver and gold have we said Winkin',
Blinkin' and Nod.
The old moon laughed and sang a song as they rocked in the wooden shoe and the wind that sped them all night long ruffled the waves of dew.
The little stars were the herring fish that lived in that beautiful sea.
Now cast your nets wherever you wish.
Never feared are we,
So cried the stars to the fishermen three.
Winkin',
Blinkin' and Nod.
All night long their nets they threw to the stars in the twinkling foam.
Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe bringing the fishermen home.
It was all so pretty a sail it seemed as if it could not be and some folks thought was a dream they dreamed of sailing that beautiful sea.
But I shall name you the fishermen three.
Winkin',
Blinkin' and Nod.
Winkin' and Blinkin' are two little eyes and Nod is a little head and the wooden shoe that sailed the skies is a wee one's trundle bed.
So shut your eyes while mother sings of wonderful sights that be and you shall see the beautiful things as you rock in the misty sea where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three.
Winkin',
Blinkin' and Nod.
The Shuteye Tree by Eugene Field.
Have you ever heard of the sugar plum tree?
Tis a marvel of great renown.
It blooms on the shore of the lollipop sea in the garden of Shuteye Town.
The fruit that it bears is so wondrously sweet as those who have tasted it say the good little children have only to eat of that fruit to be happy next day.
When you've got to the tree you would have a hard time to capture the fruit which I sing.
The tree is so tall that no person could climb to the boughs where the sugar plums swing but up in that tree sits a chocolate cat and a gingerbread dog prowls below and this is the way you contrive to get at those sugar plums tempting you so.
You say but the word to that gingerbread dog and he barks with such terrible zest that the chocolate cat is at once all agog and her swelling proportions are test and the chocolate cat goes cavorting around from this leafy limb onto that and the sugar plums tumble of course to the ground.
Hurrah for that chocolate cat.
There are marshmallows,
Gumdrops and peppermint canes with stripings of scarlet or gold and you carry away all the treasure that rains as much as your apron can hold.
So come little child cuddle closer to me in your dainty white nightcap and gown and I'll rock you away to that sugar plum tree in the garden of Shuteye Town.
That sounds like a yummy tree doesn't it?
That would be a lovely thing to dream about.
The next poem is about the moon.
Have you seen the moon tonight?
Even if you haven't you know it's up there watching over your sleep.
All comforting,
All golden,
Lighting up your dreams and blessing you.
The Moon by Robert Louis Stevenson.
The moon has a face like the clock in the hall.
She shines on thieves on the garden wall,
On streets and field and harbour quays and birdies asleep in the forks of the trees.
The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse,
The howling dog by the door of the house,
The bat that lies in bed at noon,
All love to be out by the light of the moon.
But all of the things that belong to the day cuddle to sleep to be out of her way and flowers and children close their eyes till up in the morning the sun shall arise.
The next poem is about how friendly night time is.
Night time is friendly,
It's all snuggly and velvety and peaceful.
It's full of good dreams and good feelings as you relax after a busy day and your sleep brings you everything you need so you can look forward to all your adventures in the morning and the next day.
This poem by Annette Wynne is called The Pleasant Dark.
The pleasant dark that comes at night is just as friendly as the light.
Dark wraps the curtain over all,
The trees,
The houses,
Far and tall.
The pleasant dark comes down to bless the world with mother tenderness.
She folds her children in her arms and keeps them safe from loud alarms.
The far green hills where children play are hidden till the brand new day for hills and eyelids know what's best,
That darkness is a time for rest.
The pleasant dark that comes at night is just as friendly as the light.
And now here's a lovely poem by Bliss Carmen.
Now the lengthening twilights hold tints of lavender and gold and the marshy places ring with pipers of the spring.
Now the solitary star lays a path on meadow streams and I know it is not far to the open door of dreams.
Lord of April in my hour may the dogweed be in flower and my angel through the dome of spring twilight lead me home.
And here is our final poem for the night.
Behind Each Star by Annette Wynne.
Behind each star a small dream hides but it will not show its head unless you're very,
Very good and fast asleep in bed.
