Hollow Center

[Verse 1]
They pinned my name beneath the glass
Another date, another brass-bright pass
You smiled and said, “You earned your place”
I learned to wear the frame like a face

[Pre-Chorus]
The room applauds, the curtains fall
I hear the quiet after all

[Chorus]
This trophy has a hollow center
A polished cup I can’t disappear in
I stack the proof where everyone can see
But nothing in it answers me
You say I’ve won, you say I’m enough
Why does the inside stay untouched?

[Verse 2]
The gold leaf flakes beside my bed
A list of names runs through my head
I count each finish, each new height
Then wake with nothing changed inside

[Pre-Chorus]
The room applauds, the curtains fall
I hear the quiet after all

[Chorus]
This trophy has a hollow center
A polished cup I can’t disappear in
I stack the proof where everyone can see
But nothing in it answers me
You say I’ve won, you say I’m enough
Why does the inside stay untouched?

[Bridge]
Maybe worth is not a score
Not the keys to one more door
If I set the shining weight down here
Will you meet me as I am, not what I’ve cleared?

[Final Chorus]
This trophy has a hollow center
A polished cup I can’t disappear in
I stack the proof where everyone can see
But you sit close and answer me
No final prize, no perfect climb
Just your hand finding mine

[Outro]
The room goes still, the medals rest
You ask what’s left when I’m not best
I let the silence have its say
And leave the empty cup away