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.

 

This poem is about: 
Me
My community
Our world
Poetry Terms Demonstrated: 

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