The Knockout Bell

The knockout bell rang
The whole room went quiet
I heard the shame ring first
Then I heard tomorrow

Ice on my eyebrow
Tape still wrapped around my hands
Kids outside the locker room
Trying not to understand

Somebody's radio was playing
A champion's old song
Funny how a winner's anthem stings
When you got it wrong

I lost in the same old gym
Where they used to call my name
And everybody looked away
Like losing was a stain

Coach didn't preach a movie line
Didn't tell me I was great
He just put my gloves
Back in the bag

Said tomorrow
Same time
Don't be late

I heard that bell all night
Ringing in my head
Thought it meant the ending
Till I heard what it said

They counted one
I found my breath
They counted two
I found my feet

They counted three
I heard the morning
Coming up beneath me

I heard the knockout bell
Bell rang
By the gym door
Bright as dawn

Count me down
I'm breathing still
The knockout bell
Rings me up again

I heard the bell!
The bell
I heard the bell!
The bell

It called me to my feet
The round ain't over yet

Next morning
Five o'clock
I almost walked on by
The gym light buzzing through the glass
Like a small sunrise

Then I saw a little boy
Skipping rope alone
Trying out my old footwork
Like my loss was never known

That's when I understood
They don't need a perfect crown
Somebody's always watching
How you get up off the ground

Rope hit the floor
Heart hit my ribs
I wrapped my hands again
And I stepped back in

They counted one
The rope kept time
They counted two
The bag swung true

They counted three
And every morning
Rang a little louder through

I heard the knockout bell
Bell rang
By the gym door
Bright as dawn

Count me down
I'm breathing still
The knockout bell
Rings me up again

One breath
One breath
One step
One step

One bruise
One lesson
One loss
One loss

One fire
One fire
One more beginning

Six weeks of five o'clocks
Knuckles raw against the dawn
No crowd
No camera

No belt on any line
Just a bell I hung up
In the corner
So I could ring it
On my own time

No trophy on the windowsill
Just tape around my hands
Doubt still knocks some mornings
Some rounds I barely take

But the bell that tried to end me
Just keeps calling me awake

I heard the knockout bell
Bell rang
By the gym door
Bright as dawn

Count me down
I'm breathing still
The knockout bell
Rings me up again

I heard the bell!
The bell
I heard the bell!
The bell

It called me to my feet
The round ain't over yet

Bell rang
I stood up
The shame I heard on Friday
Turned to fuel I burn on Monday

The knockout bell rang
And the round goes on