success stands alone

People do not lean toward the trophies,

they lean toward the scars.

They trust the story

that limps, not the one that flies.

Success stands alone

on a polished stage,

bright, distant, untouchable.

But struggle?

Struggle sits beside you,

breathing the same dust,

carrying the same weight,

whispering, “I know.”

People feel the hunger

before they feel the feast.

They understand the nights

when sleep would not come,

the days when hope felt thin,

the battles fought quietly

with no applause.

Because struggle is human.

Success is the headline.

But struggle is the journey,

the place where hearts connect,

where truth is unfiltered,

where we see each other clearly.

And that is why people relate

to the mountain climbed

more than the view at the top.

The pain shared

more than the victory shouted.

We do not meet one another

in the spotlight,

we meet in the climb.