Vulture

Sudan 1993 and an ugly famine reaps its prey malnourished bodies make it difficult to believe that women were created from the rib of men it is the most vulnerable who carry the weight if you pardon the cynical pun on the grotesque the lens is open and a vulture remains on guard carrion in the making seems to die on the right side of the frame and the wrong side of history a little bird like face hands buried in minute hands a grunting beak not afar as if smacking hungry lips vultures have a serious problem with their reputation but this particular images reaches down much further into gut wrenching emotion of insatiable repulsion for the record it is not the grim raptor who was ringed but the little girl who wears a UN feeding station band in all honesty the predator is not as close as it seems a nearby manure heap serves its overfed companions but the photo fails to escape the onlooker’s discomfort however they wish it would fly away on prayer or wings one vulture a Pulitzer Prize and millions of birdwatchers although Kevin Carter the award winning photojournalist followed all rules and was forbidden to touch anybody for fear of spread of disease like cholera or meningitis he was pilloried for only taking the shot and despairing instead of well what exactly should the bird have told him we are not privy to the fate of the iconic avian marauder do not know what we would have done in such situation maybe niggling bird song made us contribute to charity but the other protagonist died in a red pickup truck with a hosepipe and the girl’s parents told the press she’d survived 11th July 2020