oh, what beautiful things

we tie ourselves with bloodied strings

and dance to the tune of heartbreak and heart-stop

we sing a song of broken lutes and broken bones

and eat of the scraps you leave behind

the world will see us as beautiful and perfect

so we will break ourselves trying to keep that image

oh, what beautiful things

we will grow up before we grow tall

and learn to hide from others and ourselves at an early age

we will dance on broken toes and bleeding feet

smothered in lace socks

we will be told how pretty we are

and we will smile as our hearts bleed

oh, what beautiful things

we grow up being harassed by males who are just "being boys"

tossed around one too many times, hairline fractures spindle across our porcelain faces 

we will speak with vocal chords that are rusting and torn

just to be heard

and when we are not perfect

we will be turned away

so we maintain that perfect on the outside

while the inside fades away

oh, what beautiful things

we have grown out 

and shrunk in

we have painted and pained

so that our faces

can be pleasing

we are perfect in every way, it seems

oh, what beautiful things