Poems (Kimball)/The Baby I love
THE BABY I LOVE.
THIS is the baby I love!The baby that cannot talk; The baby that cannot walk; The baby that just begins to creep; The baby that's cuddled and rocked to sleep; Oh, this is the baby I love!
This is the baby I love! The baby that's never cross; The baby papa can toss; The baby that crows when held aloft; The baby that's rosy and round and soft Oh, this is the baby I love!
This is the baby I love! The baby that laughs when I peep To see is it still asleep; The baby that coos and frowns and blinks When left alone—as it sometimes thinks; Oh, this is the baby I love!
This is the baby I love! The baby that lies on my knee And dimples and smiles at me While I strip it, and bathe it, and kiss it—oh!—Till with bathing and kissing 't is all aglow; Yes, this is the baby I love!
This is the baby I love! The baby all freshly dressed; That waking is never at rest; That plucks at my collar and pulls my hair Till I look like a witch, but I do not care; Oh, this is the baby I love!
This is the baby I love! The baby that understands; And dances with feet and hands And a sweet little whinnying eager cry For the nice warm breakfast that waits it close by; Oh, this is the baby I love!
This is the baby I love! The baby that tries to talk; The baby that longs to walk; And oh! its mamma will wake some day To find that her baby has—run away! My baby—the baby I love!