SHIRLEY COLLINS ~

 

R E A D   M E

Shirley, 1967. Photo by David Montgomery

 

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod

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• 
• 
• 

Eugene Field

1850 – 

1895

Wynken, Blynken, 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;
   Nets of silver and gold have we,”
            Said Wynken,
            Blynken,
            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 the beautiful sea.
“Now cast your nets wherever you wish,—
   Never afraid are we!”
   So cried the stars to the fishermen three,
            Wynken,
            Blynken,
            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:
’Twas all so pretty a sail, it seemed
   As if it could not be;
And some folk thought ’twas a dream they’d dreamed
   Of sailing that beautiful sea;
   But I shall name you the fishermen three:
            Wynken,
            Blynken,
            And Nod.

Wynken and Blynken 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:—
            Wynken,
            Blynken,
            And Nod.

My friend Arvind shared this poem a few days ago

from India, both of us in the old shoe.

The poem is in the public domain. 

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ROBERT COLES ~

 

Dr. Coles with Ruby Bridges in 1995. She inspired him to write about children’s moral and spiritual lives.Credit...Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times

R O B E R T   C O L E S

1928 ~ 2026

SONGS BY BLACK COMPOSERS ALL DAY ~

 

℗ 2021 Cedille Released on: 2021-02-12 Artist: Will Liverman Artist: Paul Sánchez Composer: Damien Sneed

ROBERT JOHNSON ~

 

Hellhound On My Trail

I got to keep moving    

            I've got to keep moving

                                                blues falling down like hail

                                                                    blues falling down like hail

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

                                                                blues falling down like hail

                                                                                    blues falling down like hail

And the days keeps on 'minding me

                                                    there's a hellhound on my trail,

                                                                                      hellhound on my trail

                                                                                                        hellhound on my trail

If today was Christmas eve

                    if today was Christmas eve

                                                                  and tomorrow was Christmas day

If today was Christmas eve

                                               and tomorrow was Christmas day

                                                                                (aw wouldn't we have a time, baby!)

All I would need my little sweet rider just

                                                                    to pass the time away

                                                                                        uh huh

                                                                                                    to pass the time away

You sprinkled hot foot powder

                                                    umm around my door

                                                                         all around my door

You sprinkled hot foot powder

                                                    all around your daddy's door

                                                                      hmmm  hmmm   hmmm

It keep me with rambling mind, rider

                                                            every old place I go

                                                                                            every old place I go

I can tell, the wind is rising

                                            the leaves trembling on the trees

                                                                                   trembling on the trees

I can tell, the wind is rising

                                              leaves trembling on the tree

                                                                   umm  hmm  hmm  hmm

All I need's my little sweet woman                                     

                                                        and to keep my company

                                                                            hmmm  hmmm  hmmm

                                                                                                                    my company

__________________________________

Lineated version by Eric Sackheim

UP IN CANADA W/MILTON ACORN & OTHER POETS ~

 

Milton Acorn

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