A lonely young wife
In her dreaming discerns
A lily-decked pool
With a border of ferns,
And a beautiful child,
With butterfly wings,
Trips down to the edge of the water and sings:
?Come, mamma! come!
?Quick! follow me?
?Step out on the leaves of the water-lily!?
And the lonely young wife,
Her heart beating wild,
Cries, ?Wait till I come,
?Till I reach you, my child!?
But the beautiful child
With butterfly wings
Steps out on the leaves of the lily and sings:
?Come, mamma! come!
?Quick! follow me!
?And step on the leaves of the water-lily!

And the wife in her dreaming
Steps out on the stream,
But the lily leaves sink
And she wakes from her dream.
Ah, the waking is sad,
For the tears that it brings,
And she knows ?tis her dead baby?s spirit that sings:
?Come, mamma! come!
?Quick! follow me!
?Step out on the leaves of the water-lily!?
- Henry Lawson


Cassandra?s Lullabye ? B.Carney 1997

Gentlest of angels child of our child
Spark of a passion so easy and wild
All the world waited so eager to see
Where did you go to?
Where can you be?


I?d like to find you and ruffle your wings
Kiss you and bounce you and sing silly things
Though my arms cannot hold you my mind sees you grow
Where can you be now?
Where did you go?


Sometimes you?re with me in the blur of a tear
And I?ll show you the love that we had for you here
But the hand that gives life also snatches away
And leaves you with sorrow that no words can say


A tree spreads its branches
The seed falls to ground
Life starts anew and the seasons move round
Though my arms cannot hold you my mind sees you grow
Where can you be now?
Where did you go?