John-Ward Leighton

SOMETIMES I DON’T LIKE MYSELF

Photo ©Copyright 2009 by John-Ward Leighton

Photo ©Copyright 2009 by John-Ward Leightonanother human being down
rolling around on the ground
and aside from taking his picture
i did nothing

i had initially stepped over his body
on my way back to my digs
my stomach happily full
from an evening nosh in china town

a young native man a boy really
in what appeared to be an epileptic fit
or a reaction to bad drugs or an od
i didn’t wait to find out

i snapped the picture
and then turned my back
and unlike the good samaritan
walked away

i had my phone
i could have called
but like the police song says
too many cameras and not enough food

i returned to my digs
and put my camera back on the shelf
but the image would not leave my brain
sometimes i don’t like myself