SOCIAL COMMENTRY: "HOLLOW CROWN" BY ABDULMALIK YAHYA

When fools think they matter,
they borrow noise 
for a spine,
stand on borrowed bowels,
calling rot a ladder.

They beat their chests with rented drums,
mistake vibration for pulse,
mistake volume for value,
mistake being seen
for being solid.

They speak in mirrors,
applauded by their own reflections,
confuse glare for glitz,
confuse attention for fact.

They mistake motion for meaning,
mistake clapping for consent,
mistake survival
for significance,
and call it legacy.

Let them perform their hunger 
on rooftops,
let them crown noise as king.
Time has a way
of starving feuds of fuel.

Watch how emptiness rehearses importance
how shallow cups brag loudest
when barely full.
How dust earns a modest brass
once kissed by borrowed sunlight.

©️ ABDULMALIK YAHYA (The Punsmith)

-Nigeria

The poem _Hollow Crown_ is a scathing satire that exposes the emptiness of those who prioritize appearance over substance. The speaker mocks individuals who "borrow noise for a spine" and mistake volume for value. Through vivid imagery and biting metaphors, the poem critiques the tendency to confuse attention with significance, motion with meaning. The tone is contemptuous yet observational, letting "emptiness rehearse importance". Ultimately, the poem suggests true worth is revealed in time's scrutiny.