Child, Go To Sleep Poem by Samah Khan

The broken ballad hums on in my head
I've got no peace on the streets, and none in my head.
The wake-up call is a death-knoll to my ears
And my only lullaby is the sound of my tears-

Child, go to sleep, that's what mother always says,
I say, another day's just another mistake.
Child, go to sleep. But Mother, I said,
If you loved me, you'd not watch me stand and break-
If you really loved me like you should
You would let me go to sleep for good.

I can't breathe, there's a pain in my chest where my heart used to be,
One more step towards the light, one more step away from me-
Darkness isn't too bad, it hides that face that screams through the night,
Darkness isn't too bad, it will let you relieve the pain you've always kept inside.

Child, go to sleep, that's what mother always sings,
I say, pray I won't wake up again.
Child, go to sleep. But Mother, I said
If I don't go now, I'll become insane.
If you really loved me, you'd realize I'm sick
You'd rather have me sane and dead than a raving lunatic

The spasms don't stop, I've forgotten what love felt like,
Six-foot deep, the ground becomes warm-
If I've got dirt piled over my head, it'll be no different from before,
Except that this time the dirt will protect me from harm.

Child, go to sleep, that's what Mother's always saying,
I say, I'm losing control and I can stop anytime now.
Child, go to sleep. But Mother, I said
All I want to do is stop my bleeding soul somehow.
If you really love me, this is your final test
If you really love me, then lay me to rest.