The Moth Tattoo
Reasonable Dreams
Domestic Abuse Survivor · Breaking Free · Uplifting Indie Pop
#VERSE
“Feels like I’ve been bashed against a cavern wall
My darkest days unfolding in this sunny yellow house
His lies, threats, and punches—quickly escalating
I fly into dark corners, desperate for a way out”
#PRE-CHORUS
“But I’m trapped like a moth
Eating holes in a sweater
Must escape this musty closet
Or accept abuse forever”
#VERSE
Those smothered words, confided from my sister to me
Put a flashlight on the fear she and her children must flee
I said, “Alyssa, you will make it, and when you do
That’s the time to get yourself a moth tattoo”
#CHORUS
The moth tattoo
You’re not trapped any longer
Survived the worst
Feel your wings grow stronger
Fly from strangled darkness
To the life that waits for you
Then commemorate your courage
With the moth tattoo
#VERSE
I didn’t have the courage to rescue my own sister
I stood on the sidelines, took no steps to begin
He had a battle station of guns in their basement
I feared for my family if I got dragged in
#PRE-CHORUS
And I left my sister trapped
Like a moth near a flame
Dodging every punch
Absorbing all his blame
Advice from a distance
Was the only help I gave
While she alone grew the courage
To escape an open grave
#CHORUS
You’re on your own
To change the situation
Get out right now
Flee to a safe location
Fly from strangled darkness
To the life that waits for you
Then commemorate your courage
With the moth tattoo
#BRIDGE
The phone call came days later
From Alyssa at a shelter
She said, “I postponed courage
Tried kindness as an antidote
Then I heard a scream
And dashed to my teenage daughter
Her head banging on the wall
Her father’s hands round her throat”
#VERSE
I begged forgiveness for not being the brother she needed
Alyssa said, “This wasn’t a weight I could place on someone else
I was just as fearful, felt the guilt of staying too long
But in that moment, I found courage to take flight myself”
#CHORUS
The moth tattoo
You’re not trapped any longer
Survived the threat of death
And your wings grew stronger
You’ve flown from strangled darkness
To the life that waits for you
So, commemorate your courage
With the moth tattoo
#OUTRO
Commemorate your courage
With the moth tattoo
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