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Saturday, May 14, 2011

5 AM

Another Saturday has rolled around, and Mrs. Jenny at "…off on my tangent…" has offered the prompt, "Hush little baby, don't you cry…" for this week's Saturday Centus. If you don't know about this fabulous blog, to learn the rules and all that, please click on the Saturday Centus button on my sidebar.

And, if you have time, please go back to last Saturday's meme and read my granddaughter's first serious poem at "New Poet @ Small stories and Stuff." It wasn't posted until yesterday because of issues with Blogger.

So what shall I do with this week's prompt? Here goes.

Jane’s head wobbled as she peddled her grandmother's cradle with one foot, then the other. Exhausted and sleep deprived, she had resorted to lying Joseph in the cradle and rocking it from her precarious perch on the edge her chair.

Every time she stopped the rhythmic motion of the cradle, Joseph tuned his windpipes and blared out like a trumpet. Her response was to croon “Hush little baby, don’t you cry,” over and over. She leaned back in the chair, fell into a light sleep. When the cradle wound down, there was quiet in the nursery.

Until, from down the hall, “Mama, I’m hungry.”

The baby bellowed.


© cj Schlottman

14 comments:

Amanda said...

Oh boy. Really well done. It made me feel a despondency I haven't felt in years. :D

Judie said...

How well I remember! My first two children were only 2 years apart. That scenario played out frequently!
Check my blog--Addie's poem is there.

Porky said...

I'm feeling that despondency too..! Lucky we have depths in us we don't know. Or where would we be?

Unknown said...

Brings me back to my babysitting days... no kids for me... LOL

Susan Anderson said...

It never ends! How well I remember...

=)

jeff campbell said...

If not one disturbance, then its another...no rest for the weary...well done cj...peace and blessings

Bookie said...

You captured well the endless weariness of a good mother/parent!

Ames said...

Just how many babies does this poor sleep deprived momma have? Sounds like my poor daughter's house. This was very good cj. I felt her weariness!~Ames

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

This is so well done, I'm glad I'm not a mom. Your imagery is very vivid and I really like it's her grandmother's cradle. That says a lot in and of itself.
xoRobyn

Unknown said...

Goodness ... you have done an excellent job of dredging up all those sleeping memories.

Tina said...

a story there i am very familiar with!

Nonna said...

Very well written !

You painted a vivid picture. I just love this...so many memories bubbled to the surface for me !

Rek Sesh said...

This left me feeling bad for her...your words are always a visual treat.

Jenny said...

'tuned his windpipes'. What a brilliant piece of writing that is. I love the visualization you create with so few words in this little gem of a story. Bravo.