One small moment of
Solitude in the chaos
Unladen Burdens
Tag: New Delhi
Frailty
There is a power
Borne of compassion
When compassion fails
Frailty is where the boot comes down
The hardest
Come
Or order
Or hygiene
Or poverty
Nonetheless, they should come
This is not a place for those
Who dislike the crush of a crowd
Who want a fresh coat of paint
Or a breath of fresh air
Nonetheless, they should come
This is not a place for those who believe
That people’s conditions reflect their choices
That there is one right way to live
Or one way to think
Nonetheless, come
This is not the place for them
Because their cherished values
Will be confronted
Every moment of every day
And that is why
You should come
Because this scene is neither
Remarkable nor unusual
It is mundane
Everyday
Most of the world’s people
Your brothers and sisters
Live out their lives
In scenes like this one
Or what you would consider to be
Much much worse
Scenes which appear
Dirty
Unkempt
Dilapidated
But if you don’t come
If you don’t spend quality time
With your human family
In their homes
You may never learn
The true beauty of this scene
And all the people in it
Nonetheless, they deserve better
From those of us
Who assume we have better
Because we are better
In no small measure
We have better
Because we’ve bettered them
But are superior in no other way
Than an accident of natal geography
It’s easier to see that
If you come
So if you are enabled
By conditions of privilege
To travel internationally
Privilege built in part on their poverty
You should come
When Strangers Become Kin
Of brandishing a camera
Amongst a crowd of strangers
Is that someone, always
Steps out of the crowd
Offers an intimate glimpse
Into the nature of their being
In that instant of friendship
The camera records a kind of kinship
Which is eternal and universal
I think every photographer must know
We are all much more alike
Than we are different
Naught but the Light
Lay the deepest shadows
Where no light has fallen
For so many years
I visit with them
Let the shadows
Fall under my light
Until they become known to me
Appreciate them for their wisdom
Thank them for their insight
Forgive them for their fears and distractions
Illumined, I see their purpose
More Love
I will let you be
Whoever you wish to be
He doesn’t love you
Who would limit you
To who you are now
He does not love you
Who would have you
All to himself
That is not love
But the need of love
As if you are a fetish
Come away with me
And I will let you love
Whomever you want to love
Because I love
That you want
More than just me
It would be enough
To know
You loved yourself best
It would be enough
To know
Who you loved most, next
Just Take It In
I just take it in
Don’t try to figure things out
Sometimes
There’s just too much going on
Too many possibilities
Overwhelmed
Confused
Disoriented
So I watch
So I listen
And try not to think
Let it all settle
An Intimacy Between Strangers
Which accompanies a smile
Shared among strangers
An intimacy to be treasured