**“The Hollowing” **
We built our truths in whispered tones,
On midnight walks and broken phones.
You held your heart like sacred glass—
I never thought you'd let it pass.
But somewhere in the gilded chase,
You bartered soul for fleeting grace.
A smile too sharp, a word too slick,
Integrity undone by tricks.
I watched you paint your name in gold,
On stories bought, on secrets sold.
The mirror cracked, the mask grew tight—
You called it growth. I knew it might.
You once stood tall with quiet fire,
Now bent beneath a thin desire.
The compass spun, the needle lied,
And all the good in you… just died.
Yet still, I mourn—not out of spite,
But for the friend who chose the night.
I keep the echo, not the face,
And walk alone with quiet grace.