I kept a jar of promises on the mantle, gold and thin as lies
We traded kisses like pennies, then watched the good luck die
You slammed the door on Sunday, friends took sides like throwing bones
I learned to stitch a silence where a softer song had grown
I counted out the syllables that made your name sound false
Wore my cause like a corset, laughed until the guilt took hold
I brewed a bitter charm and let it sit a while
Watched it darken in my palms, then smiled that dangerous smile
Change of heart, so sorry—no, I’m not to blame
I let the lantern gutter when the price was too damn great
Quarrels left like footprints on the velvet of our years
You called me reckless with my thunder, I called you childish fears
Friends whispered in the parlor—recipes for who’s to blame
I poured my trust out in the garden and watched the winter claim
There’s a pang that wakes me midnight—conscience like a bell
Rings across the ruins of the faith I used to sell
I brewed a bitter charm and fed it with our lies
Feathered it with apologies, tied it neat with alibis
Change of heart, confession—yeah, the blame tastes like ash
I let the doorway close because I feared the aftermath
Oh, darling, love’s a ledger—every favor, every slight
I wasn’t prepped for interest and the debt came overnight
You wanted rescue wrapped in armor; I wanted tidy lights
So I priced my fear at coin too heavy, and I walked out of sight
Forgive me for the candle I snuffed when I thought it’d burn my hand
Forgive the coward’s comfort—the softest socket I could stand
I brewed a bitter charm and watched it do its work
It taught me how to loosen ties without admitting I was hurt
Change of heart, a quiet verdict on a love we couldn’t pay
I let an altar cool because the offering cost too much to stay
So keep your silver grievances, your vows wrapped in string and thorn
I’ll keep a tidy little tombstone for the chance I left to mourn
Call me witch, call me wilted—call me anything but brave
I chose the safer darkness and let our wild heart cave