Shadowboxin'

[Verse]
Knuckles cracked, the shadow's my sparring mate
Dancin' with the ghost of my hunger, can't satiate
Sweat drips, clock ticks, my time's an escapee
Caught in the ring, life's punches won't placate

Bars tighter than a boa constrictor's embrace
Spit venom, words slither, then sting in the same place
Heart heavy like an anvil, dragging the weight
Chain links rattling, fate’s locked in a steel case

[Chorus]
Shadowboxin', the fight ain't fair
Swing at the air, but the air don't care
Shadowboxin', my mind's my lair
Caught in a tangle, the struggle I wear

[Verse 2]
Mirror cracks, reflections splinter, I split in two
One's a joker, one's a prophet, don't know who's who
Brain sparkin' like jumper cables, thoughts skewed
Dreams boxed up, hope stuffed in an old shoe

Streets taught me more than school ever could
Lessons hit harder than bricks in the neighborhood
Grit in my teeth, spit fire, it's understood
Rhymes hammer nails, I'm buildin' somethin' good

[Bridge]
Tug-o-war with shadows, my grip slips
Voice echoes loud, but the silence grips
Can't KO the past, it's a sly eclipse
But I'll jab, duck, weave 'til my script flips