Country Roads
By: Rodolfo Perez

I’m learning to die,
Living to consume,
And learning to lie.
I don’t understand very much,
Like why she would give me that “lOOk”
Or why I became too afraid to touch.

I fell asleep in Mexico,
I woke up in reality,
I keep telling myself to let go,
As if my life is built on duality.

I do terrible things to remind myself how good life can be,
But I lose myself in the process.
Now I just face the crowds with a smile and glee,
Falling deeper and feeling less free.
I keep telling myself “this is what it means to feel!”
But I question whether life is worth feeling for.
It’s the pain of silent dread, but at least it’s real,
Rather this than the roar of unauthenticity.

“Hello? Anyone there?”