In which I commit fan poetry
I've written fan poetry. I don't write fan poetry. Except for how apparently I do. *hangs head* I can explain, though! I was doing research on apotropaic magic and talismans ("aprotropaic" means having to do with protection...it's my new favorite word, and I'm going to take every possible opportunity to work it into conversation in the next few weeks) and having a discussion about lullabies and what makes a song usable as a lullaby, and...you know what, I should probably shut up and just let you read the thing.
Title: Cradle Song for a Hunter's Child
Author: kalquessa
Fandom: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Poetry
Word Count: Four stanzas of six lines each.
Characters: Nobody specific
Season/Spoilers: Nothing, really, though I don't suppose it will mean much if you haven't seen an episode or two.
Rating: G
Warnings: Here thar be iambs. Also end-rhyme and alliteration.
Air kisses to izhilzha, who told me I should write this when I shared the idea, and who said nice things when I sent her the more-or-less finished poem.
Hush my baby, hush my dear,
Rest your head and cry no more.
Pappa's gone to hunt the night,
Mamma keeps the door.
Silver, salt, and settle-down,
Stars upon the floor.
Hush my darling, hush my child,
Night holds nothing you need dread.
Water blessed and noah bells
Guard about your bed.
Riddle, rhyme, and rattle-bones
Rest your weary head.
Hush my baby, hush my dear,
Safely sleep the hours through.
Mamma's said a silent prayer,
Washed the floor with blue.
Cat's eye, copper, cobalt glass,
Rosary and rue.
Hush my darling, hush my love,
Bends the night with listing ear.
Pappa's coming home again,
Mamma's ever near.
Silver, salt, and settle-down,
Give no voice to fear.
Note: I imagine this being a relic of the Samuel Colt era of Monster Hunting, since we don't really have a lullaby tradition these days, and also because the poem wanted to be archaic in style. I do like to think that maybe Ellen found this ditty somewhere and sang it to baby Jo once in a while. I suppose it's even possible that one of the boys found it on a scrap of paper tucked into John's journal with one of the more obscure references to protective amulets circled to remind him that he wanted to look that up later.
ETA: Three different people have written tunes for this little thing, which is just more kinds of cool than I know how to name. I'm hoping to get sound files for all three tunes and post them together, at some point, and since a few folks have asked about tunes here, I'll make a point of posting a link at spn_gen if and when that comes together.
Title: Cradle Song for a Hunter's Child
Author: kalquessa
Fandom: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Poetry
Word Count: Four stanzas of six lines each.
Characters: Nobody specific
Season/Spoilers: Nothing, really, though I don't suppose it will mean much if you haven't seen an episode or two.
Rating: G
Warnings: Here thar be iambs. Also end-rhyme and alliteration.
Air kisses to izhilzha, who told me I should write this when I shared the idea, and who said nice things when I sent her the more-or-less finished poem.
Hush my baby, hush my dear,
Rest your head and cry no more.
Pappa's gone to hunt the night,
Mamma keeps the door.
Silver, salt, and settle-down,
Stars upon the floor.
Hush my darling, hush my child,
Night holds nothing you need dread.
Water blessed and noah bells
Guard about your bed.
Riddle, rhyme, and rattle-bones
Rest your weary head.
Hush my baby, hush my dear,
Safely sleep the hours through.
Mamma's said a silent prayer,
Washed the floor with blue.
Cat's eye, copper, cobalt glass,
Rosary and rue.
Hush my darling, hush my love,
Bends the night with listing ear.
Pappa's coming home again,
Mamma's ever near.
Silver, salt, and settle-down,
Give no voice to fear.
Note: I imagine this being a relic of the Samuel Colt era of Monster Hunting, since we don't really have a lullaby tradition these days, and also because the poem wanted to be archaic in style. I do like to think that maybe Ellen found this ditty somewhere and sang it to baby Jo once in a while. I suppose it's even possible that one of the boys found it on a scrap of paper tucked into John's journal with one of the more obscure references to protective amulets circled to remind him that he wanted to look that up later.
ETA: Three different people have written tunes for this little thing, which is just more kinds of cool than I know how to name. I'm hoping to get sound files for all three tunes and post them together, at some point, and since a few folks have asked about tunes here, I'll make a point of posting a link at spn_gen if and when that comes together.