The mother watch ( author unknown )

She never closed her eyes to sleep till we were all in bed
On party nights till we came home she always sat and read
We little thought about it then when we were young and brave
How much our mother worried when we children were away.

We only knew she never slept when we were out at night
And that she waited just to know that we'd come home alright
Why, sometimes when we'd stay away till one or two or three
It seemed to us that mother heard the turning of the key.

For always when we stepped inside she'd call and we'd reply
But we were all too young back then to understand just why
Until the last one had returned she'd always keep a light
For mother couldn't sleep until she kissed us all goodnight.

She had to know that we were safe before she went to rest
She seemed to feel the world might harm the ones she loved the best
And once she said, "When you are grown to women and men,
perhaps sleep the whole night through I may be different then.

And so it seemed that night and day we hear a mothers care
That always when we go back home we'd find her waiting there
Then came the night that we were called to gather round her bed
"The children all are with you now" The kindly doctor said.

And in her eyes there gleamed again the old time tender light
That told she had been waiting just to know we were alright.
She smiled the old familiar smile and prayed to God to keep
Us safe from harm through the years and then she went to sleep.