the coals are cooling on the hearth
a cat slinks underneath a fence
starlight falls upon the earth
through the holes in hecate's woven dress
what child such wonders can resist
such vows as elders keep
to sing their haunted frog songs
which lull little children into sleep
for the night makes a promise to be dark
and the moon makes a promise to be quiet
but the hounds bay and the fires blaze
from the tongues of liars
a candle hiss a shadow thrown
the phantoms in the attic groan
the eastern winds through a drafty house
are the foulest lies of all
so rest on this pillow of the truth
you'll be loved for all your days
the best ye little ones can do
is to trust your clan to keep you safe
from the goddess of the candle and the hound
slip secrets dark and deep
she sings a haunted frog song
when she wants to make her children go to sleep