Whispered ink and flimsy stripes A carnival of fractured gripes I stroll into the circus The beasts already play A hundred painted eyes That mock my every day Heartbeat thumps a guilty rhythm Shadows cast in light A spectral jury in the spotlight I'm wrong despite Paper tigers roam Ink-fangs on their own Lines that crack and break Claws I make Plotting each step Dodging truth's disguise A masquerade of courage Stitched with silent cries Every stumble, every slip Astes of bitter rue A tower teetering on whispers Built by shades I drew Paper tigers roam Ink-fangs on their own Lines that crack and break Claws I make What if I let them blaze? Set the sketches to the fire and watch them craze See the drawings melt away Find the clarity in colors' decay They only thrive if I let them breathe These paper fears I chose to weave Whirl of colors, flicker fade Ink and paper start to trade Rip the seams, pull the threads Shatter shadows in my head Rip the seams, pull the threads Break the chains - they're dead Paper tigers roam Ink-fangs on their own Lines that crack and break Claws I've left behind Whispered ink and fading stripes A carnival where darkness types