The Cost of a Better Life

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I came here to gain asylum

To the land of sparkles, flowers, and perfume

Rumors spoke of a place

Where the people are friendly and the gates are open

But when I arrived

Clothes torn

Sweaty

Back aching

There was a padlock

“You can become a citizen if you try hard enough!”

But the toll asked me to pay with blood, culture and my sense of self

Hollywood and Los Angeles

New York and Miami

“The better the benefits, the higher the price! If you want to be a citizen, just go under the knife!”

The misery fogs around me

People bump into me as they pass

Head down, shoulders slumped

On the other side people smile

Wide and bright

With plum and cherry lips and dress shirts

I pull out my switchblade and approach the toll

The woman behind the counter speaks

Clear and nice while she points to the bowl

The more it fills, the more I grow faint

My skin grows paler, my body thinner

My accent drifts away

Finally, the gates creak open

I see someone else staring back in my reflection

And I can barely stand

But at least I made it

I finally made it


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