forest hills clutter
by Jnana Hodson



ABOARD THE AVENUE of the Amerikan Express, D.L. read a book review in a discarded newspaper. He couldn’t comprehend the critic, who wrote so unclearly. D.L. thought: "Newspapers shouldn’t have people writing about books they do not understand." Then he thought: "Newspapers should not have people writing about people and events they do not understand – such as the ‘meaning of life.’" Then he thought: "Why not? Universities don’t let that stop them."

He turned to the editorial page and thought, "Maybe politicians should not be elected to office – especially if they hold a law-school degree. They seem to thrive on confusion. They enjoy muddying the water rather than bringing clarity to the issues." Then he pondered the public itself. Mirror image, he realized.

He examined the news photos. For the first time in his life, photojournalism made no sense at all. He wondered how often he really understood what he was shooting. Then he considered running for public office.

One way or another, it’s a life, he shrugged.





photo by Sherrie Gulmahamad




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