It starts with warmth, a gentle sway,
A whisper soft that draws its prey.
A coil of charm, a smile so wide
But venom always learns to hide.
He loved his blood, his kin, his name,
Before the silence, before the shame.
He laughed with brother, called him near,
Till shadows fed upon his fear.
The python curled with perfect grace,
And made his heart a lonesome place.
One by one, she closed each door
No sister’s voice, no mother’s shore.
He loved his blood each bond he knew,
The ones who raised him, loyal, true.
Their laughter was his native tongue,
Their names the songs his heart had sung.
But one by one, their voices dimmed,
As if the world around him thinned.
She did not scream; she simply steered,
And soon the ones he loved disappeared.
She drew a map with walls and lines,
Where family turned to warning signs.
Calls went unanswered, visits stalled,
Their warmth repelled, dismissed, appalled.
She’d nod and smile, then twist the thread,
Until distrust grew in its stead.
He questioned those who’d never lied,
And stood alone, with arms tied.
She circled names he used to praise,
Then fed him doubts in subtle ways.
“Your sister’s cold,” she’d softly claim,
“Your brother’s smile hides secret blame.”
She’d roll her eyes at planned affairs,
Then question why they’d even care.
What once was love became a doubt,
And slowly, he stopped reaching out.
His mother’s hug a fading scent,
His father’s wisdom now absent.
His siblings stood just steps away,
Yet couldn’t reach the void she’d lay.
His friends were memories she erased,
Their laughter labeled as misplaced.
She chilled the room where joy once came,
And left him numb, without a name.
She hacked his trust, erased his tracks,
Read every message behind his back.
A warden cloaked in wedded name,
Who ruled his world with guilt and shame.
To her own kin, she played the saint,
Painted him with strokes so faint
Yet cruel enough to cast the spell
That made him seem the one who fell.
They cursed him out. They raised their voice.
As if he ever had a choice.
And still he bore it, day by day,
While slowly fading far away.
She watched him break and did not flinch,
Not even once not even an inch.
Cold-blooded in her quiet reign,
She fed off silence, fed off pain.
No tear for him, no backward glance,
Just tightened grip and circumstance.
A serpent dressed in bridal white,
She kissed him deep into the night.
And now he’s gone. The grip released.
But only now begins the feast
Of guilt, of rage, of grief and flame,
For those who watched her play the game.
They got their wish her poisoned crew
But does she see what silence grew?
A man erased, a voice now still,
His warmth replaced by bitter chill.
We saw him fade behind her eyes,
A soul devoured by soft disguise.
The python smiled while he withdrew
And now we mourn the man we knew.
— The Unheard
Dedicated to the memory of our brother, whose story lives through our words, our pain, and our art.