Clouds of Ash

We have all heard and seen hollywood glorify and glamorize images of war, pain, and destruction. Often, we forget that these things are all too real, and are the cause of death for thousands of innocent people every year. Those who are spared are forced to flee, living off whatever they can carry. In this photo by none other than Sebastiao Salgado, we see refugees from the Bosnian enclave of Bihac at the camp of Turanj huddled close together in the wake of the destruction that had come to them. The wide view of the ruined town goes to emphasize the massiveness of what happened there. Land mines had left any structures only shells of what they used to be, and any people only former shadows of themselves. I cannot come even close to imagining what it would be like to walk through the remains of what I once called home. The grief and terror must be unbearable, and I am sure that it is a scar these people will carry as long as they live. Seeing an image like this leaves me in awe, and as always, leaves me grateful for what I have.

http://www.pdngallery.com/legends/legends10/

From Salgado's book MIGRATIONS: Humanity in Transition