Our Children Are Not Werewolves

The moon it rises overhead,

As children sleep and go to bed;

But when it swaps from old to new

Do angels see their horns come through,

Whilst hunters smear their faces red.

 

And are their dreams full of bloodshed;

Turning to nightmares full of dread.

Leaving their thoughts and feelings blue,

The moon it rises…

 

This gibbous beast we have misread,

These castigations were misled;

It’s shape or size, or sun-lit hue,

Does not affect the things they do.

Our children’s deeds are theirs instead

The moon it rises…

 

 

This is a Rondeau, based on recent research by an international group of researchers, who found that children’s sleeping patterns are not significantly affected by changes in the lunar cycle. By investigating over 5,000 children over a period of 28 months, the only observable change in behaviour was that sleep duration was 1% (~ 5 minutes) shorter at full moon compared to new moon. Any other changes in the children’s behaviours were most likely influenced by many other factors such as their genetic makeup, education, income and societal characteristics.

 

An audio version of the poem can be heard here.