It was a Lovely House, Really—, and: Sleep Song

139 The kind you’d spent your summers in The trees would need pruning Now that summer was done A house to be contented in Now that the ship had been drawn A picture of a ship And a mantle to rest it on IT WAS A LOVELY HOUSE, REALLY— ETHEL RACKIN 140 I want to remember the picture Wander into the picture Thread the threads of sheep in the picture If this were allegory you would come to love me You would see that sheep are good (though greasy) You would not need drinking You would not need pills for your longing If this were a picture we would live together in the river Turtles would welcome us in the wide and deep river We cannot swim because it is dark and we are under water The sheep are marvelous and have begun to take pictures We can step inside and become something else entirely Like a picture of sheep ETHEL RACKIN SLEEP SONG ...