Alexia Santamaria

11th Grade

I usually like to take pictures of people but now, forced to stay inside, I turned the camera toward myself.  It felt very awkward at first because I am very insecure about my physical appearance and I don't like being stared at by strangers. Turning the camera to myself is out of my comfort zone and putting on makeup was like adding that extra protective layer between myself and the camera. I felt as if the makeup changed the way I looked, and I did not feel so insecure anymore. People in quarantine can get so caught up in their emotions so I showed my emotions through my pictures. 

“The light found inside our souls 

Shows who we really are

For some it shines brightly in their eyes 

For others, their eyes are not there

Or maybe they are, but the glass in their eyes was broken by an overflow of tears or something too painful to watch

Those who try to get close will cut their feet on the broken glass

People never know because those people are too scared to stay up at night 

They sleep when the sun sleeps because the sun shines brighter than them

So they worry that if they stay up past dark, the moon will lure them

To a place where they will unknowingly pour out their hearts and ignite the flame they were gifted 

A flame given by God as a sign of life and beauty

They are afraid that the flame will be too much 

Once the flame bursts it can consume you

The knives of memories and emotions will cut their hearts and reopen wounds that broke their eyes

They will bleed the past through their eyes

And the moon… she only wants to help 

She will send tides to wash away your blood and tears “

-Alexia Santamaria