Bedtime stories

"We won't tell your father
You know what he'll do"
Yes
But I want him to do it
I want him to smash that man
And I want you to want it

"You should have seen old Mister
He looked so sad"
Yes
But I'm seeing you
And you don't

Mister at least had the grace not to lie
But somehow
Keeps climbing those stairs
Book in hand
And you don't

"Was it a good story"
It's the same story
You downstairs
With father
Reading the newspaper
Me and sis upstairs
With him
Making old news

These betrayals
These little deaths
Are quick
Faster than a fairy tale
And quiet
Ain't no headlines here

"Time to get up"
Sleep doesn't come easy
Not like yours
But we're not afraid of shame
We eat it for breakfast

So

We won't tell father
Because we know what he would do
We aren't protecting Mister
No
We're protecting you