"Smokey" makes a call in one of his usual sleeping spots, on a bench bellow Cooper Square, in Manhattan.
Smokey stops during a walk in the park to greet a baby and talk to his parents about parenthood. Smokey had lost two kids before and this new one was filling him with joy.
Didi, Smokey's aunt, who is also homeless, screams to him trying to talk him out of the suicidal thoughts that he was having this night. He was planning to jump in the east river, overwhelmed by the vodka and the uncertainty of his future.
Smokey rattles his head in preparation to enter the criminal court building, where he had an audience due to failing his probation. In the audience he was told that he had to serve time in prision.
Smokey lights a cigarrete in a park.
"Juju" was 17 when she got pregnant from Smokey. She was still in high school and living with her parents, who dissaproved their relationship.
Juju looks at the echography of her baby.
Since Smokey lost his first son in a gang violence crime, he developed an alcohol addiction.
Cardboard pieces layed on the floor that Smokey used as bed the night before.
Smokey washes himself with water from a park fountain. Sometimes he also borrows the shower from nearby friends, and the restrooms of restaurants.
Smokey and Juju had no plan for the future of their child. He wanted to get a job, but could figure out doing what, and she had to finish high school.
Smokey and Juju hug after they fought in Cooper triangle park.
Smokey tries to keep calm moments before starting his trip towards the criminal court building, in order to attend to an audience for violating his probation.
Message from Juju on Smokey's phone.
Smoke
Life is what it is
Smokey, a homeless man in New York, learned he was going to be a father, amplifying the complexities of his already challenging life marked by addiction and mental health struggles. The Magnum Foundation & NYU Human Rights and Photography Fellowship in 2013 documented Smokey's journey as he battled homelessness, addiction, and his inner demons to transform into a better man for his impending family.