Midnight Lullaby
by Michael R. Burch
I.
A measureless rhythm rules the night—
few have heard it,
but I have shared it,
and its secret is mine.
To put it into words
is as to extract the sweetness from honey
and must be done as gently
as a butterfly cleans its wings.
But when it is captured, it is gone again;
its usefulness is only
that it lulls to sleep.
II.
So sleep, my love, to the cadence of night,
to the moans of the moonlit hills'
bass chorus of frogs, while the deep valleys fill
with the nightjar’s shrill, cryptic trills.
But I will not sleep this night, nor any …
how can I—when my dreams
are always of your perfect face
ringed by soft whorls of fretted lace,
framed by your tear-drenched pillowcase?
"Midnight Lullaby" has been set to music by the award-winning New Zealand composer David Hamilton.
Keywords/Tags: lullaby, lullabies, music, musical, song, child, children, childhood, baby, babies, midnight, night, rhythm, sleep
Lullaby Baby, good night
The Moon is right by your side
Lullaby Baby, sleep tight
And enjoy a Moonlight ride
Lullaby Baby, sweet dreams
The Stars twinkle in your eyes
Lullaby Baby, it seems
You take the Stars by surprise
With A Gentle Hand
Contest //Sponsored by: Mystic Rose Rose
( 9th Place )
Written: September 7, 2025
With a gentle hand,
You balance the world while its feet are still untried…
little fingers twist like seashells
around the promise of tomorrow.
Love is gentle in this place;
it hides within a cradle song,
a steady thrum of trust
leaning into your heart.
Every touch becomes a promise
each embrace a refuge -
showing the fragile ones
that gentleness carries power.
When the lullabies grow silent
your hand remains
carrying tomorrow gently
like sunrise opening the sky.
Focus and
hit it
when the image
is sharp
and
not blurry.
Is she
an object,
or a person
who you wish
not a dish....
of a dream
that's tasty...
She's funny and charismatic
she leaves you rising
about the spectacles
of the run of messages
Bleeding,
her involuntariness
she entourages
energizes
inside.......
She's death
because you chose,
lust over the red
of blooming
she's been there....
and still,
you beat the drums
and not the piano,
she rules over gentle
and your storms raging,
she's given plenty
of opportunities,
a pillow sleeping
The gentle is shelved
of the wish and the hows
and the black is in denial
of the thunderstorms,
a bed here for one's blinds
as he 's fantasizing
can only be harmless
hard to sleep at night
until the daylight bleeds
in all of wishes created
outside of your destiny
The garden you neglected
refuses says bees and roses....
LULLABY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
lulled by languid lullabies
leaves lay light, lost in dreams
morning mist mingles muted
whispers of warmth woven in web of the soul
Balls tumble; the stars shine bright.
Sparkling gems in velvet night.
Little hands that tossed at play,
Fold in dreams at the close of day.
Hopscotch chalk marks lines on ground.
Jumpers hop, spin, and whirl around.
Skipping feet move square by square.
Float on clouds that linger there.
Counting sheep goes one, then two.
Fluffy lambs drift softly through.
Each one bounds over silver streams,
Guiding hearts through woolen seams.
Songs whisper a sing-a-long tune.
Lilting rhymes to the chanting moon.
Voices join in, so sweet, so low,
catching webs that dream-weavers sow.
Close your eyes, let the starlight stay.
Rest until dawn brings the break of day.
All your games will wait for you.
When you wake up in morning's dew.
rose-covered blankets
tuck infants in
honey-tongued lyrics
fall on soft skin
eyelids so smooth
shut ever-so-lightly
angel wings soothe
whisk away nightly
Golden sunsets fade to blue,
Stars appear, and night's anew.
The world is hushed, in quiet sleep,
Dreams unfold, in secrets deep.
Moonlight whispers, a gentle tone,
In the darkness, hearts are known.
I need not build a mansion
to find my peace of mind.
I need no fleet of luxury cars
for calm to dwell inside.
All I need is a whisper —
a gentle breeze
blown beneath a clear, untroubled sky,
under a tree that leans above a quiet, streaming brook
casting a cool, soft shade.
The bright sunlight
will wrap me
in a tranquil blanket,
within a garden where even birds pause their songs in awe —
and when they chirp,
they shape a perfect measured harmony:
a choir of symphonies.
The whispering forests
and the calm mountains
blend a feathered harmony —
soothing the seas,
the open meadows
and my restless mind.
A light in the darkness
brings comfort and warmth —
like sitting near a glowing fire
in a silent home,
where soft music
plays not to be heard,
but to lull the soul to sleep.
I’d like to share this as a challenge to any who would like to try, as it can be read as a RHYME in five ways: #1 - left-to-right, top-to-bottom; #2 - right-to-left, bottom-to-top; #3 - left-to-right, bottom-to-top; #4 - alternating right-to-left, then left-to-right from top-down; #5 - alternating the same way from bottom-up.
____________________________
!abeam there float
bright shiny stars
gleam and bloat
Venus with Mars
dancing forever
they are eternal
entrancing, clever
brilliant and vernal
night is yawning
voided and dark
bright day dawning
flames to spark
soon close eyes
sleep to scheme
moon with skies
blink and dream!
( This is a lullaby inspired by Eugene Field’s “Wynken, Blynken and Nod” )
You’re gentle, judgemental,
A freak in sheep’s disguise
Yet in some ways you’re burdened by self sacrifice,
You’re obsessive, compulsive,
Afraid to let me go
You’re afraid of what’s left of you,
If you have not my hand to hold
You know I love you,
But it’s time to move on
Take a fall, and crash out, if I’m wrong
Be scared, I’ll hold you,
If again our paths may intertwine,
Someday you’ll see me smile,
But now is not your time
So I guess we have little left to say,
But happy hurt day,
Let’s eat our heart ache
We’ll bake ‘till we can’t feel
Lind’s eat your cupcake,
Made out of mistakes
Let’s wrap up what’s concealed
‘Cause it’s your birthday,
But not anymore
Since you chose the hurt held door
So happy hurt day,
Look, I baked you cupcakes
Blow out your candles,
Close the door
LOCUST'S LULLABY
just something light I wrote last night while sitting on our back porch. The sound of the locusts in the background was soothing....
twilight hush descends
soothing serenade begins
locust's lullaby
their tiny wings beat
rhythmic symphony quite sweet
one played just for you
© 2025 Sara Etgen-Baker
Once there lived a wizard who practiced thumbcraft,
who conjured with swipes and spells from his draft.
He began just at two with a clever old trick,
skipping ads on YouTube with a finger click.
By five he could summon a friend with a ping,
And charm them to stay with a joke or a zing.
At ten, he was crowned the king of the feed,
And levelled though boredom at lightning speed.
At twelve, he could filter his face into gold,
Hiding the parts that were wrinkled or old.
As he grew, he summoned up worlds on demand,
And unlocked new spells with a flick of his hand.
He bottled attention in shimmering views,
Then danced for the lords of the infinite cues.
His magic wand was a relic with light in its core,
A whispering flame that murmured, 'more and more".
Very soon, his scrolling sorcery reached its peak.
As ghost-echoed laughter grew brittle and bleak.
So, sleep, my child, while the blue shadows swell,
For Thumb Ms. Flick has vanished—and become the spell.
Day is done and night now comes;
flowers fade and birds sleep.
Hear the wolf, he sings a love song;
through the darkness deep.
Hear the shadows weave their lullaby;
weave a soft melody.
As you dream, they sing their gentle song;
sing for you and for me.
As the day fades, and night begins;
let your dreams arise.
Watch as the starlight dances along
through the midnight skies.
Hear a howl at the silver moon begin;
hear them cry so mournfully.
As you dream, you'll hear them gently sing;
sing for you and for me.
I'm sorry
I know you may have never been told that
But you deserve it
And so if nobody is gonna tell you that
I will
You deserve it
In a world that has told us to be strong
And has held us to impossibly high standards
I wanted you to know that you matter
And you deserved better
From the world
From your own
I'm here to let every black boy and every black girl know
You can let go
You dont always have to be a superhero
You dont always have to put on a show
Let your exterior crumble
Let those tears flow
All that pain, hurt and hate
Just know that what you feel or felt
Know it was never your fault
It was the system
And all of those who never listened
Who failed you
They failed you
Okay it's not your fault
I'm sorry they blamed you for being a victim
You dont have to struggle
With the weight of your problems
No more
This is my home
And your my guest
Give me the weight you carry on your chest
Come in and just rest
Sleep, its okay
Even if its all day
Never feel guilty
For how you choose to heal
And always remember
I love you
Specific Types of Lullaby Poems
Read wonderful lullaby poetry on the following sub-topics:
baby, christian, faith, goodnight, love, romantic
and more.
Definition | What is Lullaby in Poetry?