Venom in the bathtub

Water running

Pink stain in the foam

Tiny red comet

Circling the chrome

You said it’s “nothing”

But you’re biting your lip

Towel on your shoulder

Knuckles starting to slip

You laugh

But your eyes flinch

Say

“I’m fine

It’s just a scratch”

But every breath’s a little wince

Every step’s a little match

Venom in the bathtub

Slow drip

Slow burn

Oh

Cut a little deeper

Than the skin can show

You suffer in silence

Put a smile over every blow

Ouchie on the surface

Underneath

It’s breaking bone

Bandage peeling

Like a secret off your wrist

You call it clumsy

I can taste the twist

Phone face-down

When the warning starts to ring

“Just a wrong number”

Same name

Same sting

You shrug

But your hands shake

Say

“I fall

I bruise

I bruise”

But all these marks know my name

And they’re spelling out the truth

Venom in the bathtub

Slow drip

Slow burn

Oh

Cut a little deeper

Than the skin can show

You suffer in silence

Put a smile over every blow

Ouchie on the surface

Underneath

It’s breaking bone

(hey)

If they ever touch you

I’ll turn their kingdom into rust

If they ever raise their voice

I’ll make their echo choke on dust

You are not their punching story

You are not their bloody art

Come

I’ll rinse the poison out

One soft hour at a time

Heart to heart

Venom in the bathtub

Slow drip

Slow burn

Oh

Cut a little deeper

Than the skin can show

You suffer in silence

But I’m staying

I won’t let go

Ouchie on the surface

We’ll heal every broken bone