You think it’s a hug until it’s not,
Until warmth fades and ties grow taut.
What starts as comfort, safe and near,
Turns into something wrapped in fear.

The arms that held now grip too tight,
The light embrace becomes a fight.
Your breath, once steady, now feels trapped,
In what was love, now twisted, snapped.

You think it’s a hug, you close your eyes,
But feel the shift beneath the guise.
The weight that’s pressed against your chest,
Is no longer soft, no longer rest.

It tightens slow, it steals the air,
A squeeze that says it’s still “I care.”
But you can’t breathe, your pulse is weak,
What once was gentle now feels bleak.

You think it’s a hug, until the bind
Turns into chains that choke your mind.
And as you struggle to break free,
You wonder when it ceased to be.