Candles bent in velvet halls

Little shoes along the wall

Silver hands and painted grins

Invite the quiet children in

Paper birds above the stair

Someone humming through the air

Sugar wrapped around the wire

Smoke perfume and hidden fire

You said:

“Don’t be frightened of the dark...”

while the lock clicked shut

behind the heart

Velvet teeth

soft and slow

Pulling strings beneath the floor

Velvet teeth

watch them glow

Teach the lambs

what fear is for

Velvet teeth

Velvet teeth

White gloves folded by the bed

Promises the mirrors said

Every room another stage

Every smile another cage

Ribbon mouths and hollow eyes

Learning how to stay disguised

Every warning softly drowned

By the kindness in the sound

You said:

“Only bad girls run away...”

while the ceiling

turned to grey

Stay still

Stay sweet

Stay small

Don’t speak

Stay still

Stay sweet

Velvet teeth

Velvet teeth

Curtains breathe against the pane

Rain dissolves the window frame

Tiny shadows down the hall

Never really leave at all

Photographs without a name

Every face erased the same

Underneath the ballroom light

Something feeds without a bite

And the children learn too soon

How to vanish

in the room

Velvet teeth

soft and slow

Pulling strings beneath the floor

Velvet teeth

watch them glow

Teach the lambs

what fear is for

Velvet teeth

in the walls

Velvet teeth

inside the call

Velvet teeth

behind the smile

Holding innocence

awhile

Velvet teeth

Velvet teeth

Velvet teeth