Photosnap

Photosnap

 In the photograph she stands well braced

in the doorway of the shack: her back is placed

upright firm against one frame, the left arm reaches across the open door

to hold the other frame. Standing as she does, her feet are wedged on the floor’s

corner in front of her. That left arm, those locked feet, that braced back,

block the entrance. He is more relaxed: facing her, no lack

of confidence, standing outside the shop, left elbow on the window sill,

right leg nearer us, rod-firm, left leg angled at the knee toward her; the sharp felt-hat fills

his profile with shadow, so we don’t have a face; a fruit in his hands. So,

Mam, why so firmly angled? Your posture is saying no

entry, but aren’t you (unsmiling, holding tight on the door jambs,

anchoring the open door at your back, securing the white painted borders,) praying

hard against those well-suited charms—

and the sign painted above your head on the shack concurs—

“GOD PROMISE TO HELP”?

(c) John Robert Lee

(c) Photograph by Leo ‘Spar’ St. Helene (1927-1988), St. Lucia.