Self-Portrait by Richard Luftig

He has been to most
of the wonders of the world;
Grand Canyon, Eifel Tower,
The Great Wall, and seen

none, his back to them all.
Here at the Islands,
in shorts, Hawaiian shirt
and a lei, and this one

on top of a gorge at Yosemite,
out on a ledge in a cowboy hat
a jaunty look on his face,
flirting with death as he edges

ever back so his camera can get
a better view of the canyon
six-thousand feet below.
And not just places

but animals too: the panda
in the National Zoo,
tigers from Circus World,
Alligators at Swamp-O-Rama,

Even the herd of llamas
from the alpaca farm,
me at Machi Pichu
me at the Pyramids

all downloaded
some where he hopes
at least ten people
will give him a like.

And he never knowing
all he’s missed unless
he shows up uninvited on
someone else’s video.