Friday, May 2, 2025

Melbourne Candid Series #1053 Swanston St

 


He walks where the city forgets to dream,
Off Swanston’s pulse, in a side-street seam.
An old man carved from dusk and ache,
Thin as memory, too brittle to break.

Beret tilted like a wounded crown,
Eyes cast low, like the heavens frown.
Each step a whisper, each breath a thread,
The living ghost of a life half-dead.

In his hand—O fate!—a paper curled,
Tight as secrets that once rocked the world.
Is it a letter? A map? A name?
A poem never read, or a war’s last flame?

The trams don’t pause for men like this,
Worn to the bone by what they miss.
Yet still he moves, through wind and grime,
Dragging behind the weight of time.

No one sees him—just a blur,
Of beret, bones, and something sirred.
But somewhere deep, the city knows,
He walks with all its buried prose.


Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Check out Candid 809 and FACE OFF




22 comments:

  1. Una calle muy concurrida de la que tu has sabido aislar a ese transeúnte de la gorra que parece caminar seguro de si mismo sin atender a nadie más. Un gran monocromo.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Luis. The subject isolation through narrow DOF is what we all love to do

      Delete
  2. That elderly fellow has seen a great deal of history, and is surrounded by those much younger than him on this street. Just imagine what knowledge he has, and the stories he could tell.

    ReplyDelete
  3. In every city, you can always find people with the personality of the person in your photo. Excellent street photography.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Easy to see that he was enjoying his walk along that Melbourne's crowded sidewalk on a sunny morning. Great photo!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nice -Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. A well dressed character who has experienced a lot of life. Thank you for linking up and have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I like the focal character — his cap and beard. Well done in highlighting him.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Un personaje que parece fuera de lugar

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your photograph is impressive, but even more so are the profound thoughts laid out in this poem, dedicated to the care for our fellow humans. We are always hurried in our daily routine and rarely notice someone next to us who needs support... sometimes just a smile is enough!

    ReplyDelete
  10. People do tend to look past the "elderly" folks as they walk down a street.
    This reminds me of the song written by John Prine, "Hello in there."

    ReplyDelete
  11. A little more and the congested area passes.

    ReplyDelete
  12. A little more and the congested area passes.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your posts have become so profound. I think you should put it all in a book. I love this photo. Thank you for joining FFO and have a wonderful day.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is an excellent photo that tells entire stories. The poem is very beautiful and poignant.

    ReplyDelete