Saturday, May 5

Shell


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For the eighth torrid day, Lancaster sweltered. And on that August morning, as I passed under the Amtrack overpass, this was on the side. The car parked, I walked back to see this hardened shell of leather, perfectly formed as if molded onto a body. But, as if a crab had left its shell, the body was gone. Why a winter's jacket during the tropical heat? What'd happened here the night before? Was the person sucked away into some alien's ray, leaving behind only his exoskeleton of tough leather? There's got to be a reason for its appearance and two days later for its disappearance... Leaving behind only one record that this jacket-shell was left on an urban beach.

And this is that record.

1 comment:

mcmurma said...

This coat in this image sets up in such a interesting way... You can almost see the shadow of the person wearing it even though no one is there. When I look at it I imagine that the coat has a will of its own. As if it's trying to stand up and walk away but hasn't the legs to do so. And this, along with the overall dark and brooding nature of the piece (and the fallen barrier fencing) seem to make the image rather forlorn.

Overall its kind of like a haunting waiting to jump up and say, "Boo!"