Food on cardboard

Walking home from beach area, I contemplated taking a photo of a man sleeping in the shade at a small intersection park. As many times as I have passed that park, or sat on one of the benches, read the sign, do not remember park's name.

The man was lying on his side, facing away from Redondo Avenue; legs stretched straight out. I have thought about this at other times: why assume the prone man is homeless, taking a nap; what if he is dead or in need of help. Yet I am so used to seeing homeless sleeping just about anywhere, I would not consider waking them from much needed rest. Though I did not get a good look at his face, the man appeared to be elderly. Sixty-something? Reason I assume homeless was the long sleeve shirt, and pants. Hot, hot day in Long Beach, shorts weather, you see.

A young man comes running over to me, as I am partially turned looking back at sleeping man. "Are you hungry?", he asked, "I have food."

I was not particularly hungry. The food was on a piece of torn brown cardboard box. I asked, "What do you have?" or maybe "What is it?". Could not tell by looking. Some kind of chicken and I guess potatoes. Mexican food. There was not a lot of it on the cardboard, so I declined, suggesting he ask "that man", who is likely homeless. I felt bad about telling him to wake a man I would not wake myself.

I imagine the young man leaving the uncovered food on the grass so sleeper would see when he awoke, sans interruption  Yeah, covered with ants or bird chipped like the saran wrapped bagels sitting on a bench the other day. Plastic wrap torn a bit, a few crumbs, likely birds had been pecking at them.