Better on Paper

Jewel-toned blues gaze at me as I traverse the scene.

The sun leaves a nurturing yet sweltering impression on me as it slaps me with its never-ending heat.

A picture of paradise surrounds me,

A place where I can become anew.

Yet something keeps tugging at my shoulder, almost begging me to retreat—

A warning sign telling me not all is as it seems.

I shrug it off—how could I not want to reside in such a paragon of beauty, where everything feels serene?

The sight of ghost-white, pearly teeth live in the smiles plastered across everyone’s face.

Their eyes peer into mine, like an empty glass desperate to be filled.

I struggle to decipher what it is they truly desire,

But their words imply I do not fit within their empire.