In Memory of Irmak

The tremors, frightening enough.

The collapse, unspeakable.

And in the aftermath, alone

atop the lifeless rubble

of the apartment complex,

a numbed mid-aged man

wearing an orange anorak

sat speechless, his left hand

securely holding

his buried daughter’s.

“Take a photo of my child,” he said.

In grief beyond words, Mesut

wanted her to be remembered.

The image, lasting and unforgettable.

In memory of 15-year-old Irmak, who

died in the tragic 7.8-magnitude

earthquake in Turkey in 2003.

Adem Altan’s photograph, the definitive image of the tragic disaster is not included here, but is widely available via internet search.