Did I Miss Something?

Did I miss something?
A few lines, maybe?

Did I overread the script,
and now my mind is rewriting it?

Or did it switch
when I wasn't looking,

and now they have me
playing a part
I never interviewed for?

I don't know what it was.

But something
isn't the same.

It feels like a dream now,
not reality.

When I say, "Cut,"
everything keeps running.

And every time I say, "Action,"
it seems like time pauses.

But I guess Hollywood never sleeps.

And the red carpets keep coming,
with deadlines to meet.

The cameras are always watching,
and I can't catch a break.

Every word I speak
is rehearsed
and scripted.

Nothing seems to be on my path
but what was left behind.

And when I keep moving,
keep going,

people pass by.

Sometimes I wonder
if I'm an extra,
just in case someone makes a mistake,

or a sidekick
who doesn't do anything
but tell the superhero
how great they are.

Because I say, "Action,"
and nothing happens.

It's weird.
Cringe.
Cliché.

That's what every movie is nowadays,
though, right?

I read the script
over and over again,
waiting for something—
just something—
to happen as planned.

And when I say, "Cut,"
maybe it'll stop this time.

But for now,
I guess I'll keep practicing my lines.