Where Will I Focus?

, ,
out of focus shot of an old lady handwashing

the whole
is greater than
the sum of its parts

who I am
is not a broken total
I am the whole

pink flowers in the foreground
Arjen dismantles the house from the place she and her mother have lived for more than 20 years.
Filipina sitting in the garden
Arjen and her last days in the garden.

Arjen’s mother laments abandoning her jackfruit tree, her brother-in-law sold the land and gave them just a few weeks to relocate. Three years ago Typhoon Yolanda washed their home and all their belongings into the sea, they rebuilt the house a little closer to the road. Being forced to relocate to another area very far from the sea and their family is a bit like a second typhoon as they pull down the house and rifle through their belongings.

, , , , ,

Melinda J. Irvine

Melinda J. Irvine is a freelance writer, blogger and creative. She writes for business clients and online publications all over the world. When she’s not writing about holistic health and ways to become a more effective writer, Mel is practicing tai chi and supporting the emotional wellbeing of marginalised kids in the Philippines. Sometimes she even has time to cross stitch.

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5 responses to “Where Will I Focus?”

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  3. us4p Avatar
    us4p

    Very sad. 🙁

  4. ksbeth Avatar
    ksbeth

    so sad

    1. Melinda J. Irvine Avatar
      Melinda J. Irvine

      it is sad, a lot of the photos here on the blog are sourced from their garden and their pathway to the water. they are wonderful people and i feel sad for the hardship of their life. thank you for reading. mel.