the biker

walking out of the bookstore tonight, i saw a man crying on a bench nearby, wiping his snot with his hands. i felt like i wasn't supposed to catch this moment. he looked as if he'd wanted to hide his sadness in the dark, seated under a cemented tree. he stared out into some space out in the parking lot in a trance, transfixed by some thought. i should have probably asked him if he was hurt... but his face read "do not disturb". his helmet was on and his bike was carefully parked nearby, looking somewhat exasperated by his tears. i took a compulsive second glance walking by and was embarrassed to notice him because we all know the feeling of that kind of sadness - not wanting to be seen yet needing to be surrounded by people.

photo by: james pomerantz.