Through the Eyes of a Child

THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD

        "NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP
           PRAY THE LORD MY SOUL TO KEEP
           IF I SHOULD DIE BEFORE I WAKE
           PRAY THE LORD MY SOUL TO TAKE
           GOD BLESS MOMMY AND DAD
           AND BROTHER RALPH AND SIS
           WE LOVE GOD, FOR JESUS WE ARE GLAD . . . ."

     AND WHEN I FINALLY SAID AMEN
     AND JUMPED INTO MY BED
     MOTHER HELD MY LITTLE HAND 
     TILL SLUMBER FILLED MY HEAD

     HOW SIMPLE WAS MY WORLD THEN
     SEEN THRU A SMALL CHILD'S EYES
     I HAD YET TO LEARN TO SIN
     OR THE PAIN OF A SOUL THAT DIES

     WHEN SHE WAS SURE I WAS ASLEEP
     A GROAN WOULD RACK HER SOUL
     THUS WOULD SHE PRAY MY SOUL TO KEEP
     HOW QUICK THE TEARS WOULD FLOW

     WHEN THOSE HOT TEARS HIT MY HAND
     I WOULD WAKE AND HEAR HER PRAY
     BACK THEN I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND
     THE WORDS I HEARD HER SAY

     DEAR GOD I GIVE THIS BOY TO YOU
     AND MAY HIS HEART STAY PURE
     MAY I GUIDE HIM STRAIGHT AND TRUE
     FOR WHAT HE MUST ENDURE

     HERE IS A TOUCH OF GENIUS
     HIS MIND IS QUICK AND KEEN
     WHAT HE CAN DO FOR JESUS 
     IS NOT YET CLEARLY SEEN

     WHAT WILL HE DO, WHERE WILL HE GO
     THE WORLD IS VAST AND CRUEL
     AND YET I KNOW YOU LOVE THEM SO
     EACH CHILD A PRECIOUS JEWEL

     LIFE'S FURNACE BLAST WILL TEMPER HIM
     AND FORGE A WILL OF STEEL
     AS HE WALKS THRU A WORLD OF SIN
     KEEP HIM STRONG YET WARM AND REAL

     AND MAY I DO MY PART , DEAR GOD
     AND BE A LIGHT TO HIM
     AND WITH A KISS AND WITH A ROD
     DELIVER HIM FROM SIN

     OH GOD YOU KNOW A MOTHER'S HEART
     IS SUCH A FRAGILE THING
     RIGHT NOW IT SEEMS TO BREAK APART
     YET THRU MY TEARS I SING

     THERE IS A SONG ALL MOTHER'S KNOW
     " DEAR GOD THIS BOY I GIVE  TO THEE
     A TENDER BUD THAT YOU CAN GROW
     TO BE ALL THAT HE CAN BE "

     SOMETIMES HER PRAYS WOULD LAST TILL DAWN
     HER VIGIL I COULD NOT KEEP
     AND WITH A WEARY LITTLE YAWN
     WOULD DRIFT SOFTLY OFF TO SLEEP

     I LITTLE KNEW HOW OFT HER PRAYERS 
     WOULD HELP ME IN MY LIFE
     WHEN I WAS LOADED DOWN WITH CARES
     AMIDST A WORLD OF STRIFE

     I ONLY KNOW MY SOUL IS SAFE
     WHEN I CLOSE MY EYES TO SLEEP
     AND IF I DIE BEFORE I WAKE
     I KNOW MY SOUL HE'LL KEEP

     NOW ,MAY EVERY MOTHER LOVE HER SON
     AS MY DEAR MOM LOVED ME
     AND MAY EVERY SON, YES EVERY ONE
     BE ALL THAT THEY CAN BE

     WILLIAM EVERYMAN            1988

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