swaying to the music

dancing the steps we learned months in advance

and singing like we didn’t mean it,

we were stars of some musical i didn’t know the name of

we were pretending

but did you mean it?

crying on that creaky stage

with lights so bright they felt unnatural

you wiped away my tears

only for the sake of the performance

i would’ve liked you better

if you didn’t keep playing a part

and listened to something other than the crowd

and if you ever come around again

i won’t repeat what i had memorized 

no more forgetting lines 

no more faking a smile

and no more auditions for roles i don’t even want

so through it all, i must admit

theater isn’t for me

and neither are you