‘Sing me a lullaby before you go’
In the evening glow you turn and smile
You kneel before my bed and start to sing.
My eyelids fluttering, my conscious fading,
With your voice in my ears I slowly disappear
Into the warm nothingness of sleep.
I never saw you cry as you watched your boy rest
I never saw you cry at how proud you were

We grew older, we grew farther, I grew older
As the years went I rejected lullabies,
I was not a child anymore!
All your signs of affection were annoying,
You were always there, so why should I care,
How you felt, how much you loved me?
I never saw you cry as you watched your boy grow
I never saw you cry at how unloved you were

Now I had arrived, I had my life ahead of me
And yet I never had time for you
I viewed you as a hassle, as an afterthought to call
A checklist on a monthly duties list
Every phone call I rolled my eyes at all your goodbyes,
I never thought I would have to make one myself
I never saw you cry, as your son became a man
I never saw you cry at how lonely you were

Your breathing apparatus is rhythmic
Your eyes, though now weak, are still full of light
I bring you flowers, though it will never be enough
As you reach the end I finally see it all
I never made the time, I never made the effort,
I never loved you enough,
I never saw you cry

And now, as you slip into your own warm nothingness,
I kneel before your bed with tears in my eyes
And with a smile you whisper
‘Sing me a lullaby before I go’