Behind the Camera
They arrived in their numbers
By bus and by car the people came
The people came and they stopped
In a field they saw a hardworking lad
A straw hat covered his head and a smile his face,
As he worked the field on his small farmstead
The cameras flashed
He stood confused
Confusion became annoyance
Annoyed, he became resentful
At eight years old this Amish boy screamed
How could we leave such a peaceful life?
How could it be that I must wave goodbye?
Yet away he went from the Amish community
His family never to return but as guests
A new life began, with new hopes and dreams
Instead of quitting school in year eight
He continued until year sixteen
The first in his family to finish high school with honors
And the first to college
This lad became the first to step into Africa
Among the Ghanaians, this young man was a guest
He moved into the village, became the son of a chief
But try as he might, he could never fit in
There was nothing so painfully obvious as the color of his skin
PRIVACY PLEASE! He often did yell
But try as he might, it was never quite right
He loved the people and Ghana became home
But every so often he stopped
One day in particular, while on his way home
Beside a local fruit stand stood a young mother of two
And devoid of a thought, he pulled out his camera to capture the scene
With the tap of his finger the moment was captured
But when he looked at the picture, he was taken aback
Instead of a remembrance, he received only shame
Instead of a smile, she turned her head in disdain
With the shame came a memory
Of a time long ago
When the flashing cameras turned a smile to a scowl
So who is this boy with a frown on his mask?
Why, this boy was me.
I’m so glad that you asked.