Spotlight

I shine a spotlight on everyone I meet -

showcasing their best parts and every single feat.

Give a tender glare at those cracks beneath the skin,

The parts they consider "damaged goods",

broken beyond repair, or cast in sin.

Yet, how do I know if they’ve given me the same courtesy?

They easily peer through the cracks;

all it takes is one look into my eyes to divulge agony.

Stealing glances without paying the price,

Watching my horrors unfold centre-stage,

How lucky they are to not relive them twice.

Those glares dissect melancholy beneath the skin,

my soul ravaged by heartache, tragedy, and sin.

But the fear is crippling, what if they only see

someone broken beyond repair;

the worst parts of me?

I shrink into the secluded corners of life:

Wherever I roam, I avert my gaze,

tormented by this everyday strife…

It's no use, I’m forever blinded by the spotlights’ daze.

Nobody ever told me, that these wandering eyes

live inside my head rent-free.

The whole world watches me on every street,

Even when I linger in the gloom.

Don’t shine your spotlight on this person that you meet -

There’s barely any room,

when he’s always exposed by idle curiosity.

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This poem tackles the complex questions of self-perception, vulnerability, and the desire for connection. I think it will resonate with anyone who has ever felt exposed or judged.