Febrero

The smoke from the recent wildfires blended with the usual pollution

Clung to my hair and filled my lungs

The sky was engulfed in hues of orange and swirls of grey

I hate the hustle of this city

It moves too quickly

It’s unforgiving

I feel insignificant

Putting on an outfit I don’t like

Faking a smile I rehearsed too many times

Catering to rich men to earn enough to barely survive

By the time I get home,

the exhaustion weighs heavy

All I can do is surround myself with my own silence

I talk a lot of shit about this place

It probably doesn’t deserve half the things I say

I know one day when I look back,

I reached for the sky and lost the ground.

I turned back around, but the sky wasn't found.

Everything came, but nothing would stay.

The one I chose to stand with just walked away.

I opened my eyes, but they were gone.

Time didn't wait, and they moved on.