They raced across the headland They raced the summer long; The laugh bespoke the effort Of two who shared the crown. They raced the haggard garden In an Autumn-weakened sun, And never saw the sadness In the first race that was won; For the weak was getting stronger And the strong was in decline And the shadows saw him losing In the first race he was trying... And a household god dissembled That made our house a home. The train was almost moving, They returned each others wave; and each was smiling bravely To pretend that each was brave. She watched the carriage fading In a whistle out of sight, The end of the beginning As the first had taken flight; For an anchor weight of duty Had tightened on her chest Where the swallows lined and waiting As the fledgling left the nest... And a household god dissembled That made our house a home. The call came in the springtime When the reins had fallen slack, To the furrow almost finished, In alarm he was back. He saw again the headland In the field within his head, And the Meitheal men that gathered At the footland of the bed; Are these the withered heroes In the shrinking hand of time? Is this the one that laughing Could have won if he was trying? And a household god dissembled That made our house a home. The house was now in darkness, In the darkness hid the fears, And the flicker lights were laughing At the candle on the stairs. The echoes hurt the silence In a child-forsaken room where the windows watched the wisp cloud On the witch face of the moon. She gave up her independence And yielded up her pride Where the hearth gave up its embers And the key was turned outside... And the household gods dissembled And the house returned to stone.