Bite Back

You talk real loud when I’m not there But face to face? You don’t compare Throw little stones, then hide your hand Soft little king with a paper crown You love to test what you can break Push and push just to see me shake But pressure builds and pressure cracks Careful what you’re poking at You thought I’d fold, you thought I’d bleed You mistook patience for weak You fed the fire, you fanned the flame Now you don’t like the heat I bring You wanted quiet You wanted tame You wanted someone easy to blame But I don’t bruise the way you planned I bite back You pushed me to the edge — now watch me jump Not falling down — I’m coming up You lit the fuse inside my chest Now hear it detonate You wanted something you could break But I don’t break, I bend and reshape You woke the monster in my head Now you’re afraid Every whisper, every lie Every time you tried to slide Underneath my skin like doubt Guess what? I’m immune now You thought I’d drown in what you said Let your words live in my head But I don’t carry poison long I spit it back in every song You call me “too much,” call me “mad,” Call me everything you lack Projection’s loud, it’s crystal clear You see yourself when I’m in the mirror You wanted silence You wanted small You wanted me to hit the wall But I don’t snap the way you think I snap awake You pushed me to the edge — now watch me rise No fear left in my eyes You tried to cut me down to size But I weaponized the pain You built the cage around my name I tore it down in flames You woke the monster in my veins Now say it to my face You don’t get to play the victim When you built the war You don’t get to act surprised When I’m not yours anymore You made me sharp You made me loud You made me something you can’t control now You pushed me to the edge — I didn’t fall I learned to stand through it all You tried to bury what I am Now I’m stronger than your hand You woke the monster — that’s on you Now I decide what I can do If I bite back when you attack It’s ’cause you taught me that