so i do

i thrive in being alone

isolation

other people will just bring me down

indeed all the world's a stage

and all men and women are merely players

that we all wear masks and costumes and recite our parts,

and at the end of the day,

none of it is real,

that it was all just a play

none of it is genuine or

something to be trusted

it's me against this world of insincerity

this world of inefficiency where it's hard to know where your hearts lie,

where your minds wander

you and i are not compatible

i strive for a perfection of sorts,

to do what needs to be done

with no fuss and frills

but i see that you have no motivation to do the same as i

and i hate you for it

you become a weight that i dont need but is tied around my waist

like something i have to pull forward

like it's my job to give you the right push to memorize your lines

groups reek of disorder

collaboration is a horrible environment

where discord festers between the one who wants to win and the one who doesn't give a damn

there is no such thing as teamwork

there will always be that one person who'd do more than the rest

the one who struggles to keep the boat moving

while everyone else waits for the wind to blow at nonexistent sails

i like to think that i'm that person

i hate to think that i even have to do it

to start the conversation

to break the ice

to light up the spark of camaraderie

i'm supposed to be the silent one

the one who tails by your shadow

i'm supposed to be the follower

not the leader

but if i do nothing

then so do you

and so i do

so i do.

Aaqilah Mangarun hails from the quiet suburbs of southern Philippines. She currently studies biology at a state university, but has a passion for all things fantasy. When not writing or reading, she is busy cramming for exams and slurping her favorite caramel macchiato.