Gorgeous waifs,

victims of J. Crew, Calvin Klein, and society,

saunter down the sidewalk

to see and be seen.

Corporate presidents

in open cafes

sip their cappuccinos

to see and be seen.

A red Mercedes convertible

swerves around the corner,

tires squealing in protest,

to see and be seen.

Women,

the newest statistics of cosmetic enhancement,

their Oakleys bouncing back the rays,

strike a pose

to see and be seen.

Men,

their Nikes resounding against the pavement,

wait at a newsstand

pretending to flip

through the latest FORBES

to see and be seen.

Flocks of tourists

in double-decker buses

scramble for their cameras

to catch a memory

of those who stand around

to see and be seen.

Stephanie Chang
Girls Preparatory School

Nominated by eleventh grade teacher Catherine E. Barker