pretend a little longer
in between shutter fire
and gradated grin,
that our lenses haven’t murdered

i've lost a thousand people
disappeared under gaze weight
of coarse rope bindings
bouncing off reflective walls

that are tortuous to the camera shy
where are they now
and why haven't we seen them
in such a very long time?
ever since we exposed the reluctant

they are beating their heads
in celluloid blocks
on reels and reels and reels
of mandatory participation

no longer allowed options
details only apparent to living selves,
the right to remain invisible
and pathetic, off the record