Mother O Mother!

Mother deck me not in pearls
they chain me in my play
O Mother let me skip like the deer and run like the cheetah
let me chase the ducks into water let me fly with the birds

Mother dear mother chain not my feet with anklets
they bind me in my play
O Mother let me run with the wind and laugh with the birds
let me hide in silence when my friends come looking for me

Mother plait not my hair with ribbons and bands
they tug at me during my play
let my hair lift like the waves of the sea let the wind whistle through my hair.

O sweet child of mine
I deck you not to chain you but to make you the queen who rules the world
I adorn your feet with anklets not to bind you
but to let me know you are away from danger
I plait not your hair to stop you but to keep them free of painful tangles.
Child O sweet child of mine I want you to be free like the wind too
but I want to protect you too!
stay happy child O child of mine.