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KICKING DOWN THE DOOR

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Submitted Date 06/21/2019
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Private Notes

Kicking Down the Door
Age 30, Durham, North Carolina, 1974
I designed and taught the Photography Workshop for Teenagers After School
for teens at risk
The candid photograph for this poem is one I took when teaching the workshop
-- This is one poem in an autobiographical series of poems I posted here at WriteSpike. Go to my stories section for others. They are in chronological order. --

The heavy set black teen
blocking the outside door
announced,
"My name is Concrete
and I'm taking over this place."

he'd been watching
too much gangsta TV

I walked up to him
til I was eye to eye
with a young man
five inches taller
and seventy pounds heavier
"Get the hell out,"
I said

but then I stepped back
and unexpectedly smiled
"But if you want to learn photography,
Come in and I'll show you."

Concrete was caught off balance -
I walked away and turned to see him
following me
so I guided him into the darkroom

pushing the dark rubber curtain aside
I brought him under the yellow developing lights
as one of my students blew up a negative -
the bright reversed image
glowing under the enlarger

"This is where we process film
and make the prints."

back outside I showed him the cameras,
cheap copies of an early 35mm now made in Russia
"Here take it."
I handed him one
along with a film cartridge -
suddenly all thumbs he looked helpless

"You'll get the hang of it," I said
as I deliberately showed off
and effortlessly opened the back,
snapped in the cartridge,
pulled out some film
and skillfully threaded it
onto the take-up spool -
Concrete watched me closely

"We don't push people here
- you'll learn in your own good time."
"But what do I take pictures of?"
"What do you like?"
"Karate."
"Photograph karate."

after he left
I was not sure
I'd see that particular camera again
but later that year
when our workshop
held a group exhibit
his kickboxing shots
were part of the show

Comments

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  • No name 4 years, 10 months ago

    Your poetry always sets a scene for me and I just continue to adore it. I'd by this book

    • Rick Doble 4 years, 10 months ago

      Thanks Kiersten, this poem was a bit difficult for me, as it was about a time that now seems so long ago. But apparently, I did help a number of teens who were "at risk" as they told me years later.

  • David Ross Washington Jr 4 years, 9 months ago

    You have so many stories, and this poem was beautiful to me. Meeting this bold individual, to a bit of a shaken start of a bit of arrogance, but things turned around as you were open to help him learn photography, and he respected you enough to listen and to take notes (mentally), and though you were unsure if you'd see him again and that camera, his work became a part of the show. What a difference we can make in someone's life by just a few words and being open and understanding.

    • Rick Doble 4 years, 9 months ago

      Several teenagers who took my workshop told me years later that it had made all the difference in their lives. And I am still friends with a number of them.