The Shelf Was Bare

Lyrics

[Verse 1] The closet still holds your denim jacket, I catch the scent, a ghost in the hallway, I memorized the rhythm of your heavy tread, Now the floorboards only settle into silence. [Chorus] You reach out when the house grows cold, When you remember what you chose to leave, You show up at the door, breath in the winter air, Begging for a warmth you didn't earn, But you were always better at wanting, Than at being the one to stay. [Verse 2] I gave you a map to every hidden part of me, You kept the landmarks, ignored the terrain, You lived for the chase, the pride of the win, Never stopping to ask if I was running thin. [Chorus] You reach out when the house grows cold, When you remember what you chose to leave, You show up at the door, breath in the winter air, Begging for a warmth you didn't earn, But you were always better at wanting, Than at being the one to stay. [Bridge] Tonight the key turned in the lock, A familiar scratch of metal against brass, I stood in the kitchen, a glass in my hand, Ready to hold the hollow space you left, But the hall was empty, the air was still, You finally came for what you cast aside, Only to find the shelf was finally bare. [Outro] I am not the lesson you get to learn, Not the prize you reclaim when the room gets dark, The lock was changed, the spirit moved on, You missed the departure, and now you are gone.