"Whidbey Island Lullaby" by Gretchen V Hansen

Gretchen V. Hansen (1948); Dutch/Swedish; knows Japanese and French; Home is Northwest. “The Pacific Northwest has tall fir trees. It rains a lot and it’s windy. Fall through the spring, sunshine in summer. The sound of waves on the shore, echo through night. I love the smell of lilacs and roses. They smell delicious and fresh from the rain. Also I like the honeysuckle vines frequented by the humming birds.   “Sh,” “Chh” are good for sleep.  Soft, sibilant sounds like water softly ebbing and flowing, humming are sleepy sounds. The Sleep comes to me in a blue and white color. My eyes become very sleepy and, I cannot keep my eyelids open, when my head begins to nod or fall. I get into bed and snuggle next to my pillow and my husband. If I have a trouble to sleep I repeat several mantras in Japanese.”

“Whidbey Island Lullaby” by Gretchen V. Hansen for Chandra from her mother

Sleep away, sleep away, sleep my little one,

Sleep as the wave laps the shore,

The sand patterns change forever more,

And in the towering fir

The wind does stir,

Sleep, my little one.

Sleep away, sleep away, sleep my little one,

As the earth moves, close your eyes,

Midsummer’s moon is on the rise

And behind the mountain

The sun goes down,

Sleep, my little one.

Hawaiian Lullaby

Sssu sa shuu, my keiki

Evening tucks the sky,

Under a sundown cover

And palms begin to lullaby.

Sssu sa shuu, and listen,

They say you played on shore,

In a hut with coral windows

And a dream shell door.

They say you tried a land crab’s dances,

Raced on pier, you knew, kapu,

Scooped up a netful of shadow fishes,

And made them sharks in your water zoo.

Sssu sa shuu, beachcomber,

Put your sea loot away,

How can you sleep with a lobster claw

Wrapped in a leimu lei?

Sssu sa shuu, and drowse now

While the stars rock high,

Close your eyes and listen

To the palm trees lullaby.

0165, 0166