Two Questions Arise
Haunted by the horrific images from Sudan, Kevin Carter the photographer of this photo committed suicide in 1994 soon after receiving the Pullitzer Prize award
What tiny measure of compassion might have made this picture joyous?
Two Questions Arise.
Innocence dressed
only in skin
and bones,
crawls feebly from
the sharp
talons of death,
Hunger gnaws at
the distended belly,
even more
powerfully then fear,
No one to carry
this child's tiny body,
to the aid just
a lifetime away,
driven by instinct
to a fetal curl
like a lamb
to the slaughter,
Racing against
a biological clock,
that is anything
but logical,
while a bird of prey,
wishes to write
this child's
bio in blood,
Innocence pauses
to shudder,
as the
shutter clicks,
and captures famine,
in all of it's
gory glory,
But two questions
eat at my soul,
just beneath
the ignorant guilt
of my own fault
in not sending
any money to help.
"Why didn't the
photographer,
set down
his camera,
and carry
this child
to some aide camp
where food waited?"
Wouldn't this incredible
award winning action,
have beaten his
Pulitzer prize to a pulp,
much like the vulture
most likely did,
on the flesh
of this sacrifice
to mankind's
uncaring indifference. "
Then perhaps
they might
both have survived,
and the vulture
would have
simply dined
on some roadkill.
The other question
also troubles me
as my belly growls
and I have to say "Excuse me
while I go get some
"All you can eat--
Breakfast Buffet."
at my favorite
restaurant stop.
that lies 10 miles
just east of
the Federal
Housing projects,
where hungry children abound
Am I not also guilty of apathy?
Photo by Kevin Carter-deceased
Child's status unknown
© 2010 Matthew Frederick Blowers III