Tiger growling in my ear,
Tell me things I want to hear.
Make sure that there’s no one near,
When you cut out all my fear.

I bare my skin, you bare your claw,
As blood runs down I stare in awe.
My side in ribbons, red and raw,
The meanest tiger I ever saw.

Scars like stripes across my side,
Mouth sewn shut, eyes open wide.
Bloody ocean yields bloody tide,
My wounds are getting hard to hide.

A tear runs down your reddened cheek,
You choke on sobs and try to speak.
You ask how I could be so weak,
My eyes, like yours, begin to leak.

The tiger tries to hold my tongue,
To keep my song of woe unsung.
I feel way too old to be this young,
I feel as though my heart’s been wrung.

Your sadness turns to mere disgust,
I quickly start to lose your trust.
All my hopes just fade to dust,
I wipe my tears and act nonplussed.

You shake your head and turn to leave,
For you the truth’s hard to believe.
As though I’m dead you start to grieve,
Your absence serves as my reprieve.

The tiger smiles, he knows he’s won,
I know his torments have just begun.
My heart feels like it weighs a ton,
All my life has come undone.

I wish you’d never gone away,
I wish I could have made you stay.
I know there’s nothing I can say,
To keep you here another day.

I know it’s too late to regret,
Keeping this tiger as my pet.
It’s not your fault, so please don’t fret,
Just say good bye, and then forget.