by Mrs Elizabeth Akers Allen copyrighted before 1890
Mother Home and Heaven
edited by Mrs J. P. Newman, 1889, page 148

BACKWARD, turn backward, O Time! in your flight,
Make me a child again just for to-night!
Mother, come back from the echoless shore,
Take me again to your arms as of yore,
Kiss from my forehead the furrows of care,
Smooth the few silver threads out of my hair;
Over my slumbers your loving watch keep--
Rock me to sleep, mother, rock me to sleep!

Backward, fly backward, O swift tide of years!
I am weary of toil, I am weary of tears!
Toil without recompense, tears all in vain,
Take them and give me my childhood again!
I have grown weary of dust and decay,
Weary of flinging my soul-wealth away,
Weary of sowing for others to reap;
Rock me to sleep, mother, rock me to sleep!

Tired of the hollow, the base, the untrue,
Mother, O mother, my heart calls for you!
Many a summer the grass has grown green,
Blossomed, and faded, our faces between!
Yet with strong yearning all passionate pain,
Long I to-night for your presence again!
Come from the silence so long and so deep,--
Rock me to sleep, mother, rock me to sleep!

Over my heart in days that are flown,
No love like mother love ever has shone,
No other worship abides and endures
Faithful, unselfish, and patient like yours;
None like a mother can charm a pain
From the sorrowing soul and the world-weary brain;
Slumber's soft calm o'er my heavy lids creep;
Rock me to sleep, mother, rock me to sleep!

Come let your brown hair just lighted with gold,
Fall on your shoulders again as of old;
Let it fall over my forehead to-night,
Shielding my eyes from the flickering light;
For O! with its sunny-edged shadowy once more,
Happy will throng the sweet visions of yore;
Lovingly, softly its bright billows sweep--
Rock me to sleep, mother, rock me to sleep!

Mother, dear mother, the years have been long
Since last I was hushed by your lullaby song,
Sing then again,--to my soul it shall seem
Womanhood's years have been only a dream;
Clasped to your army in a loving embrace,
With your soft light lashes jut sweeping my face,
Never hereafter to wake or to weep;
Rock me to sleep, mother, rock me to sleep