Killing With Kindness

I used to hand out mercy like it cost me nothing,

Turned every sharp edge soft so no one felt the sting.

But every time I bowed to keep the peace unbroken,

I watched the worst in people learn to spread their wings.

They called it grace, but really it was silence,

A quiet deal that let them take and take again.

I dressed my boundaries up as gentle guidance,

Till kindness turned into a mask I couldn’t stand.

Chorus

Killing people with kindness only feeds the fire,

Teaches every taker that their hunger’s justified.

You can lose your whole self trying to lift them higher,

Till you wake up one day and find you’ve slowly died.

Kindness isn’t weakness, but it’s not a chain —

I won’t reward bad behavior ever again.

I used to think compassion meant I had to bend,

Let every storm roll through me just to keep the calm.

But some folks only soften when they meet an end,

A boundary drawn with truth instead of open palms.

So now I give my kindness where it’s honored,

Not where it’s twisted into something I don’t choose.

Love isn’t love when it leaves you feeling smaller,

And peace isn’t peace if you’re the one who always bruised.

Chorus

Killing people with kindness only feeds the fire,

Teaches every taker that their hunger’s justified.

You can lose your whole self trying to lift them higher,

Till you wake up one day and find you’ve slowly died.

Kindness isn’t weakness, but it’s not a chain —

I won’t reward bad behavior ever again.

Bridge

Kindness with a backbone, that’s the kind I’m keeping,

A heart that opens wide but never lets you drown.

Mercy with a limit, truth that’s worth repeating —

You can love the world and still refuse to bow.

Final Chorus

Killing people with kindness only feeds the fire,

But kindness with courage can finally turn the tide.

I’m done with shrinking just to lift them higher,

I’m choosing love that doesn’t set itself aside.

Kindness isn’t weakness, but it’s not a chain —

I won’t reward bad behavior ever again.