Thanks for your comments, all.

Thanks especially to S&R for sharing your powerful poem. Hope you're having fun with your other grandkids.

Different Guest, it appears to me that you've taken the scant information I provided, made several assumptions, and created a whole other story about what happened and about my motives and intentions. Then you got upset about that story in your head, rather than reality. I don't have the time or inclination to straighten you out point by point. But you HAVE done me a favour, as you mentioned, by showing me how drastically my brief introduction could be misinterpreted.

Jeri, the question you raise about songs standing alone or needing background is an interesting one - and River's Lullaby is a good example of that. Those who are familiar with the Coventry Carol will recognize that I didn't just choose it for its tune, and will see the echo of Coventry Carol's first and last verse in River's Lullaby's first and last verse. And I believe that those people will appreciate the song more because of it. On the other hand, those who don't know Coventry Carol might find the phrase "woe is me" out of place. So what's the best way - assume nobody knows Coventry Carol, and leave out the "woe is me"? Take the time to explain the connection? Or just accept that some people will get the references and others might be confused by them?

Oh, and what chords are y'all using for Coventry Carol? By ear I came up with:

Am Am Dm E7
Am Dm Am Am
Dm G Em E7
Am Dm A A

but I'm not really satisfied with the third line.

Marion