What I Want to Believe
Today, I saw the photograph of Quang Duc’s
self-immolation,
taken by Malcolm Browne in 1963.
In the photo,
the Vietnamese monk sits in the middle of a street
with a car parked several yards behind him
and a plastic tank of gasoline to his right.
Flames rise straight from his face and robe
and efface the left half of his body.
A slight grimace betrays
the pain of being burned alive.
The spectators behind him are many:
monks in robes,
street vendors in straw hats,
children in white uniform,
a girl with long hair.
Their faces show wonder,
disgust,
disbelief,
grief.
They watch,
search
and find in the smoke
what I want to believe is the soul.