Sweet babe of mine

a poem by Maryse Saldanha

The pitter patter of the raindrops
Makes beautiful music to my ears
The sweet smell of soil fills my senses
My heart leaps for joy

The babe in my arms silently sleeps
Unaware of all around
It’s angelic face brings calm to me
Sweet fruit after months of toil

Raindrops on the window they seem to play
All green has sprung back to life
The advent of monsoon renews them like new
And instills in all new life

The babe in my arms noisily moves
Then again lay still in my arms
His tiny fingers my heart overwhelms
So small yet around him centers my life

Drops turn to showers children come out to play
Their mothers cross at their fun
Someday my baby you too will play
But I promise you I’ll join in the fun

The babe rocks in the cradle I watch it sway
When I see you all pain is swept away
There is none for us just you and I
Together we’ll make our way thru life

I shudder to think of that terrible moment
When daddy left us and went afar
In you comfort I took and steady moved on
With you new life has begun

Seasons will change, we both will grow
You a young man, me a lady old
None will ever come between mother and son
We will love each other and forever care

Sweet babe of mine as you soundly sleep
A prayer I pray, may all well be
I lost once but in you hope I found
God give me strength and guide me on

The showers continue to pour my sweet baby sleeps
I try wake him up its time for his feed
My baby won’t wake I desperately try
The cradle is empty lost the sweet babe of mine

Sweet babe of mine where did you go?
Sweet babe of mine!
Oh sweet babe of mine!