In Plain Sight

FEU Advocate
July 30, 2024 15:55

In the crowded, busy streets,
I walk as a prey in plain sight.
A casual click of a camera meets;
All that I hide in broad daylight.

Lustful gazes filled with hunger: cold.
No hint of consent, yet my story is told.
Through the lens’ eye, my image laid bare;
Exposed to the public’s prying glare.

Behind each flash, zoom, and click,
My soul lies yearning to be more than seen;
To exist beyond the perverse tricks,
Of voyeuristic filters and libidinous sheen.

So let your eyes be mindful, let them refrain,
From objectifying, from causing pain.
For with every image, my soul remains:
Deserving of dignity, in public or in vain.

- Sean Clifford Malinao
(Illustration by Alexandra Lim/FEU Advocate)