“Double Life”

(Gral Cabral 56)

It all began in '99, just seven, too young to know the signs

The day my father left, the light dimmed behind my eyes

A suitcase full of dreams, New York calling his name

But he left a house of silence, where nothing felt the same

Mama wore both shoes, dad and mom in one fight

Chancleta in her hand, tears falling every night

No more peace in that small room we used to share

Only storms and Catrina’s floods, water everywhere

And I was just a boy with a broken voice

Mocked in class, stripped of choice

I knew who I was, though they tried to define

With whispers, stares, and twisted lines

Do real friends exist, or is it all pretend?

Is a smile just a mask that hides the bitter end?

In a world where the shadows kiss you like the light

I learned how to live in a double life

We packed the pain and moved to Cabral 56

A yard to run, a new chapter to fix

Grandma’s arms, and mom chasing goals

Crafts and pastries, while I patched my soul

Carla smiled but never saw my heart

Fell for two, but both tore me apart

Crushed by crushes, rejected again

But I still hoped to be more than a friend

They said my voice was wrong, my steps out of place

But I found God and a church full of grace

Still, even angels fall in the darkest hours

Even roses grow with thorns in towers

Do real friends exist, or is it all pretend?

Is a laugh just a lie we tell to the end?

I walked with boys who played like light

But behind the games, they blurred the right

Baratillo dreams and back-alley fears

Older friends with secrets whispered in ears

A child among wolves in daylight disguise

Learning who to trust through trauma and lies

I hit when I hurt, ashamed of the past

But I owned it, I grew up fast

No repeats, I learned, I changed

But I carry the scars that can’t be exchanged

Do real friends exist, or am I still alone?

When the lights are off and I’m on my own

But God heard my cry, He gave me breath

Kept me from choosing Hannah’s death

So I’ll tell my truth, let the echoes rise

From Cabral 56 to the starless skies

This is how it feels when you're barely alive

But you fight to live…

In a double life.