spotted at the corner of 52nd & fifth, sitting at the base of a tree that seemed to struggle for survival as much as he. motionless, amid intense activity surrounding him, almost invisible in his urban attire and inked face. a dog lay close, mistaken for a bundle of meek possession until it briefly lifted its head for a scan of the area. one can easily say hello, or stop a complete stranger for directions. this was different for me. i was uneasy, but the draw of this image overwhelmed me. approaching him, still motionless, with a blank stare indicative of his mind being very far away. perhaps somewhere in the past or living a life only seen on the billboards papering his environment, i asked him his name.
a small, distinctive smile formed as he mouthed the word jason.
how many coins drop to his cup without admitting his existence, acknowledging his relevance in the fact that every breath, or action that each individual plays in determining what the next day will bring.
with that smile, it was easier to ask him permission for a photo. in return i lined his cup, he gave me no minimum, i gave him no restrictions. hopefully, he would use it to eat a few good meals and feed his dog.
i sat on the street in front of him, knee to knee. at that point his dog showed me its teeth with a snarl. quick with his hand, the dog silenced. i now witnessed again that same timid smile on pulling out my camera. "polaroid" he whispered. with that, i thought, or hope that my visit was not as much an intrusion, or added task in his daily struggle.
ATZ, SX-70 sonar onestep
i do have one regret, which is very small compared to what i had just witnessed. my camera was loaded with expired artistic time zero that i had not yet tried out. i do wish it were type 600 to better capture the intricate details of jason. none the less, the results are acceptable for something as challenging to me as this.
https://polaroidart.livejournal.com/224370.html
