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.

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5 responses to “Where Will I Focus?”

  1. […] Where Will I Focus? – Melinda J. Irvine […]

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  3. us4p Avatar

    Very sad. 🙁

    1. Melinda J. Irvine Avatar

      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.