Unless the Lord watch

Mzee took it quite to heart –
to stay awake was in vain.
He looked so peaceful, too,
sure in his knowledge
that the Lord watched the house.

Each night, the Lord watched,
and Mzee slept,
but not in vain.
And we, too, slept
fearless
with peaceful dreams
even knowing that Mzee slept as well as we did

For we knew
Unless the Lord watch the house
the watchman sleepeth in vain

and if Mzee felt safe,
we, too, must be.