A Poem for My Daughter

Little girl, don’t you cry,
Daddy’s here and he’s close by;
If you’ll hush, I’ll sing a song
For you to soothe you all night long.

Close your eyes, and let dreams play—
On the clouds above, over the bay—
The moon will shine
And paint the ground
With silvery lights, and sparkles round.

Look down the street, the stars are bright,
The world is safe for you tonight;
And in the trees the soft winds sigh,
So hush now, baby girl, don’t cry.

The birds still sing high up in the trees,
While the night winds dance and tease;
The lilac flowers sway and bend,
As evening whispers to the end.

So close your eyes and let dreams play,
As the stars above watch over the fray;
Let the crickets sing a lullaby,
And forget your cares, don’t you cry.

• James Weldon Johnson